Watch Elderly Maltese With Three Teeth Save Another Dog from Coyote Attack

Home security cameras captured the moment a small 11-year-old Maltese with only three teeth saved another dog from the jaws of a coyote by chasing the wild canine out of the yard.

The dogs’ owners, David and Erin Mascaluso, told KTLA the coyote jumped into their backyard while the dogs were outside. The hero dog, named Vinny, who weighs all of 10 pounds, didn’t hesitate to confront the much larger coyote.

“He’s always been a scrapper, oh yeah,” David told KTLA. “The first day we brought him home, I went to pet him and he started growling at me.”

In the footage, you can see the coyote jumping the fence and chasing their other dog, Harley, into a corner. When Harley starts yelping, Vinny runs from the other side of the yard and chases the coyote off as Harley runs back toward the house.

“You know, a little 10-pound, 3-tooth dog… and 11 years old chased off a 60-pound coyote,” David said. “So, it’s pretty amazing. He did a great job. He’s our little hero.”

Harley suffered two lacerations on his upper back and one on his chest that required stitches. He also had bite marks and abrasions on his chest. Vinny likely showed up just in time, especially since a second coyote on the other side of the fence can be spotted in the video.