By Jeanie Sorbet-Rentz
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Photo: Scrappy, held by Dylan Prestenbach, is safe and sound with his family in Avondale after surviving a coyote attack. On the sofa are Christana Cavalier, father John Prestenbach and Connor Prestenbach.
Hello, neighbors. Hope everyone is having a great week. There is a saying that love comes in all sizes. Well, the Prestenbach family in Avondale found out how true that statement is.
Dylan Prestenbach, age 7, had talked his parents into letting him get a dog. He named the new family member Scrappy. Scrappy is a small dog, a mix of terrier and dachshund. Scrappy has considered himself the protector of his loving family.
John Prestenbach, Dylan’s father, lets Scrappy out in the backyard every night. The Prestenbach’s back-door neighbor is the swamp and woods of Avondale, and sometimes they get wild visitors. Scrappy has scared off raccoons, opossums, nutria and other wildlife from their back yard.
On July 1, John Prestenbach heard Scrappy barking, but the bark was somehow different. When John ran out of the door, he noticed that Scrappy was not in the yard. Scrappy had dug a hole under the fence and had gone after a coyote.
When John got to the scene, the coyote had Scrappy by the neck. John was about 60 feet away from them and ran toward them, yelling at the coyote. The coyote dropped Scrappy and ran back into the woods behind the property.
John picked up Scrappy and rushed him into the house, where they bandaged him. The next day, the family brought Scrappy to a veterinarian near River Road on the east bank. Scrappy got a few stitches on his throat and was treated for the injuries on his back. The veterinarian told the Prestenbach family how lucky Scrappy really was.
From now on, they keep him inside at night because the coyote might come back.
Dylan and his family are proud of Scrappy for his bravery. The Prestenbach family said they feel lucky to have their family member back home safe and sound.
Love does come in all sizes and species.
Read more: NOLA.com
