Dog escapes attack by a group of coyotes that jumped over the 7-foot fence of a house in Van Nuys

A Van Nuys family says their beloved dog is recovering after surviving an attack by three coyotes that jumped over their 7-foot fence this week.

It happened around 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday when the family’s dogs were in the yard. Video shows the three coyotes attacking one of the dogs, a Maltese-poodle mix named Princeton, as he tries to fight them off.

The family’s German Shepherd can be seen barking at the back door and running around the yard to scare away the coyotes, eventually diverting their attention from the smaller dog.

“Prince was so strong and fought as bravely as he could until our German Shepherd was finally able to scare them away,” the family said in an online fundraiser.

The owners eventually managed to open the door and let the two puppies in, but Prince suffered deep cuts to his neck and stomach, requiring emergency surgery at a local veterinarian.

Juliah Taylor, the dogs’ owner, says the two dogs are inseparable.

“They do everything together,” Taylor said. “He protects her, she protects him. I’m just thankful they were both there to protect each other.”