10-Lb. Senior Dog with 3 Teeth Saves Canine Brother from Coyote Attack: 'Our Little Hero'

"We're really diligent, and it just took one little thing, and we could've lost [our] little guy," the dogs' family said

A brave senior dog sprang into action to save his younger canine brother from a coyote attack in Mission Viejo, California.

David and Erin Macaluso told Fox 11 Los Angeles that they had just let out their two dogs — an 11-year-old Maltese/dachshund mix named Vinny and his younger brother Harley — when the pooches started racing through their backyard.

Home video captured footage of what set the dogs running. The clip, obtained by KTLA, shows a coyote jumping the gate to the Macalusos' backyard and chasing Harley. At one point in the video, the coyote appears to capture tiny Harley near some bushes by the gate where it entered.

However, before anything sinister happens, Vinny runs in to help Harley from the other side of the backyard. The senior pup runs into the bushes and scares the coyote off, allowing Harley to escape to the house.

Related: Ghost the Rescue Dog Is Recovering After Living with a Coyote Pack for Months in Nevada

"We just scooped him up and went to the emergency vet," Erin told Fox 11 Los Angeles about what happened after the incident. "We didn't even realize what happened until after we were sitting in the lobby of the emergency vet and rolled our camera footage back."

"It happens just that quick," David added. "We're really diligent, and it just took one little thing, and we could've lost [our] little guy."

Erin told KTLA that Harley had to receive stitches for two lacerations. The coyote also left the little dog with several bite marks and abrasions, but the canine's pet parents feel lucky Harley's injuries weren't worse and thankful that Vinny jumped to action.

"You know, a little 10-pound, three tooth dog … and 11 years old chased off a 60-pound coyote," David told the outlet. "So, it's pretty amazing. He did a great job. He's our little hero."

Related: Labrador Retriever Scares Away Coyote to Save Boston Terrier from Attack in California Backyard

Harley is expected to make a full recovery.

Dr. Shari Rodriguez, assistant professor of human dimensions of wildlife at Clemson University, told PetsMD that humans should ensure that their pets are not left unattended as coyotes can sometimes see smaller domesticated animals as prey.

"If a coyote is in an urban area and there is a fat fluffy [pet] that doesn't have a lot of defense mechanism, cats could be considered prey," she said. "Once you allow your pets to roam, they basically become part of the ecosystem, so they may be perceived as prey by any given species."

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Last year, a similar incident occurred when a Labrador retriever saved his sister, a Boston terrier named Sadie, from a coyote attack after the wild animal jumped over a six-foot wall into the dogs' backyard in Huntington Beach, California.

The coyote grabbed Sadie by the neck with its jaws but was stopped from going further by the Labrador retriever, who heard his sibling dog's yelps and took action by scaring the coyote, causing the predator to drop the terrier from its mouth.

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