Veterinarians don't often see victims of coyote attacks.  There's usually nothing left.

But Flash and Brady Lester, two dogs who live on Cromesett Road, encountered the jaws of two coyotes and have lived to bark their tale.

An 11-year-old cockapoo and a 5-year-old Yorkshire Terrier / Bichon Frise mix, respectively, the two beige canines were let out for their routine 10 p.m. break before retiring to their crate last Monday evening.

"They have a pretty normal routine where after two minutes, they will start barking at things," said their owner, Pat Lester (full disclosure: yes, Pat writes for Wareham Week and is married to our publisher - but guess what story we've been talking about the most this week...) "I heard the barking right on schedule, then it got more insistent, then heard a yelp - and I knew immediately it was a coyote."

By the time Lester (the human) got to the door, he was screaming and yelling.  Flash was already on the walkway headed to the door, and then Brady came flying by.  In the yard were two coyotes. Lester chased them to the woods then checked on the dogs.

Brady was shaking in the lap of his wife Anne and had a bloody wound on his hip.  Flash looked like he had one wound, but overall didn't look so bad.

"By the time we put them to bed, they seemed pretty normal," said Lester.

When they brought the dogs to the Marion Animal Hospital the next morning, however, they realized how lucky the pets were to survive.

Flash's thick pelt had covered two sets of incisor wounds, suggesting that he had been held in the coyote's mouth.  The wounds were so dramatic that the vet was concerned that the coyote may have crushed the dog's ribs or punctured his lung.

But thankfully, Brady, the little Yorkie, seems to have saved the day.  The vet confirmed Lester's speculation that Flash had been grabbed, but before the coyotes could make the kill, Brady's appearance (and Lester's yelling) probably shocked the wild animals and made them drop their apparent meal.

"I think that's the only logical answer as to why Flash is alive," said Lester.

Wareham Animal Control Officer Carlston Wood said that the dogs (and their owners) were extremely lucky.  "For them to be back and forth with the two dogs, dropping one dog - that's highly unheard of," Wood said.  "Usually they just take them." But he also said that coyotes are "enigmatic at best."

He recommends that pet owners never leave their dogs outside unattended in areas with coyotes (and he says they are everywhere in Wareham).  He also suggested that property owners never leave any food outside that would attract animals - compost heaps, trash, even a dirty grill.

And if you have an animal that you suspect has been bitten by a coyote, get it to a veterinarian as soon as possible.  Coyote have such virulent bacteria in their mouth that their victims need antibiotics immediately. In fact, the vet made additional incisions to clean the dogs' wounds, which were also kept open to ensure that no bacteria remained before the wounds began healing.

And now the dogs have passed their follow-up appointment, they only go outside at night while on a leash...and a very loud Lester on the other end.