BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (AP) — Police and animal control officers are warning pet owners in the Bloomington area about a rash of coyote attacks on small dogs.

Deputy Police Chief Mike Hartley said coyotes have been in the urban area for years but only recently have started attacking small pets. There've been six since July 28, and five of those dogs died, according to KARE-TV.

The city is consulting with wildlife experts to capture the coyote, which in some cases jumped fences to reach pets, Hartley said.

Patty Palacios lost her Pomeranian Poodle mix named Buddy two weeks ago. She let him out before turning in for the night and as she was coming down the steps, just a few feet behind the dog, she heard him bark three times.

“I saw like a flash,'' she said. “A flash of white, which must've been my dog going around the corner of my neighbor's town home. And then I saw the big bushy coyote tail.''

Palacios screamed, but the coyote fled with Buddy before she could react. A search yielded nothing, not even his dog collar.

She said her children have had a tough time sleeping.

“They feel if this could happen to your very own dog, what else could happen?'' she said.

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Information from: KARE-TV, http://www.kare11.com