Mass. woman getting rabies shots after apparent coyote attack

Local news

Kathy Normore said she was walking to her mailbox when a coyote jumped out and bit her, WPRI reported.

A coyote appeared to attack a Dartmouth resident over the weekend, WPRI reported.

Kathy Normore told the station she was outside her house when a coyote hiding in nearby grass jumped out and bit her.

“It just latched onto my arm,” she told WPRI. “It was immediate.”

After the coyote ran, Normore said, she went to a local hospital and received 15 rabies shots. She told WPRI she received seven additional shots Tuesday and will have to continue checking into the hospital for the next few weeks. Normore described the process as “not fun.”

“I’ve been sick since my first round of shots and I don’t want anyone else to go through this,” she told WPRI.

She encouraged her neighbors to be vigilant and stay aware of their surroundings. Dartmouth Director of Public Health Christopher Michaud agreed with Normore. He did not confirm or deny whether the incident she described to WPRI occurred, but said Dartmouth residents should avoid all contact with wildlife.

“Any contact with wildlife, especially mammal wildlife, is always discouraged. We shouldn’t be feeding raccoons by throwing bread on our lawn,” he said. “You shouldn’t feed wild animals. We have to be very conscious of making our property unattractive to wildlife.

He said if someone encounters a coyote, they should yell at the animal to scare it off and call animal control. Even banging pots and pans can be helpful in scaring off a coyote, Michaud said. However, he warned residents hunting coyotes not to provoke them.

Dartmouth Animal Control did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Mass Wildlife said if you see a coyote in your area you should automatically put your pets on a leash, remove any wildlife food sources and eliminate shelters.