What an elderly woman thought was a dog in her backyard turned out to be a coyote that ended up attacking her, sending her to the hospital.
Brevard County deputies were called out to the home in Malabar at about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in reference to a coyote attack. When they arrived, they were told a woman thought she heard a dog trying to get into her chicken coop in her backyard. When she went to investigate, she hit the animal with a broom and it turned and started to attack her.
Her adult daughter, who lived in a separate house on the same property, heard the commotion and got a gun and shot the coyote.
Brevard fire officials said the 84-year-old woman was taken to Palm Bay Hospital in stable condition.
BCSO, Fire Rescue, as well as the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission were called to the scene.
The coyote was sent to the state lab to test for rabies.