KiiiTV Reported – She was confronted by a pack of coyotes during a morning jog on Padre Island, just off of Whitecap, over the weekend. Now, she is speaking out about her close encounter. At first, Amanda Stoner had no idea what had been following her on her morning jog. It was 5:30 a.m., dark outside, and she had her earphones in. That’s until her dog went into defense mode.
We all know coyotes are common in the area. Most of the time they keep their distance, and it’s not often that they are found on city streets. Stoner has seen them before on her morning jogs, but this time was different.
It was along Das Marinas, a residential street off Whitecap, where Stoner, her dog Diesel, and a Labrador puppy came across a lone coyote.
“I continued to run out here because I couldn’t see anything around me,” Stoner said. “Was worried because I know they don’t travel alone unless they are hurt or sick.”
Instead of losing interest, the coyote followed Stoner. She made it to Whitecap when she says three more coyotes came out of the nearby brush and surrounded her and the two dogs.
“He was going ballistic, snarling and growling, standing in front of me to protect me,” Stoner said. “I was scared to death they were going to attack all of us. We were outnumbered by them. They were circling us. It was more they were after prey than were curious, ‘What do you have there.'”
The whole time, the wild animals were just 10-15 feet away. Having a concealed handgun license, Stoner was armed and says she was ready to protect herself.
“I had the weapon drawn. I was prepared to shoot them at that point,” Stoner said. “Then your brain starts thinking, I’m in a residential area. Someone could be walking. You start thinking about those things.”
Stoner called 911 and a good samaritan came to her aid. She believes the coyotes were after the dogs.
Thankfully, Stoner and the dogs are okay. One of the things she did to keep the coyotes back was to make herself look big by putting her arms up and simply yelling.
Animal experts say there’s typically an increase in activity this time of year for the simple fact that it is mating season. A few weeks ago, Animal Control said a couple of coyotes killed a cat. So if you have animals, be sure to keep them secured on a leash, and do not leave food outside.