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Woman Survives Alleged Coyote Attack, Says She Was Pinned to Her Truck While Protecting Her Dogs

Brandy Williard says she was attacked outside her Claysville, PA, home on Nov. 28 while checking on her dogs; she was allegedly pinned against her pickup and suffered deep scratches to her face, arms and legs. She has begun post‑exposure rabies treatment. The Pennsylvania Game Commission called such attacks rare and could not immediately confirm the species, though Eastern coyotes live in the state. Williard says she is grateful her dogs were not seriously injured and fought to protect them.

09:06 PM, 11/30/2025Society
Woman Survives Alleged Coyote Attack, Says She Was Pinned to Her Truck While Protecting Her Dogs

Brandy Williard says she was attacked by a wild animal outside her home in Claysville, Pennsylvania, on Nov. 28 while stepping out to check on her dogs. She says the animal lunged at her and pinned her against her pickup as her pets cowered beneath the vehicle.

"'OK, I'm getting killed,' is what I was thinking," Williard recalled. She said she fought with the animal, struggling "with my hands like a pretzel" to free herself. The encounter left deep scratches across her face, arms and legs. "I was on fire. It burned — my whole body just burnt," she said of the pain from her injuries.

Williard was given post‑exposure rabies treatment following the attack.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) said attacks of this type are rare in the region and that officials could not immediately confirm whether the animal was a coyote or another species. Williard said she is certain of what attacked her and that the sounds it made are hard to forget.

She expressed relief that her dogs were not seriously hurt. "I'm not going to let you eat my dog. It just was not going to happen," she said. "I was going to get eaten first."

What officials say about coyotes

The PGC notes that the Eastern coyote is the largest wild canine found in Pennsylvania and is most common in the northern part of the state. Adult males typically weigh 45 to 55 pounds, and females 35 to 40 pounds. While coyotes are primarily nocturnal, they often hunt during daylight hours, especially in the morning, and rely on keen senses of smell and hearing.

Authorities remind residents to keep pets supervised outdoors, avoid approaching or feeding wild animals, and report any aggressive wildlife encounters to local agencies.

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