Coyote Attacks Woman Dog in Woodcliff Lake NJ Amid Rising Regional Incidents

A 30-year-old woman working as a housekeeper was bitten multiple times by a coyote in the backyard of a Woodcliff Lake, Bergen County, New Jersey home Monday afternoon (about 1:15–1:20 p.m.) while with the family’s golden retriever. She sustained bites to her leg, arm and back, was taken to a hospital, given vaccines and preventive medication, is being tested for rabies, and has since returned home with non-life-threatening injuries. Surveillance video captured the coyote repeatedly targeting the dog and the woman until the homeowner scared the animal off and they retreated indoors. Woodcliff Lake police and Bergen County Animal Control searched the nearby woods (officers were reported with rifles) but were unable to locate the coyote, and officials warned residents to be vigilant around wooded areas and to secure pet food, garbage and brush. The attack comes amid a busy fall for wildlife encounters in North Jersey — including recent coyote attacks in nearby Saddle River, where one animal tested positive for rabies — and authorities stressed that while attacks on people are rare, aggressive coyotes have been euthanized in past incidents. Residents are urged to keep pets supervised, report aggressive or fearless coyotes, and use hazing techniques (loud noises, throwing objects, hoses) to deter them.