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Vest helps protect dogs from coyote and bird attacks

June 01, 2018 | Local News

Courtesy photo – CoyoteVest body armor helps protect small dogs and cats from being attacked by other domesticated animals and wildlife.

By Amber McIver-Traywick

The Surveyor

It may look comical and even like a punk-rocker costume for your pet but these multi-colored spiked vests might save your dog or cat’s life.

A California couple, Paul and Pam Mott, watched in horror as their small dog Buffy was quickly killed and carried away by a coyote several years ago. The Mott’s say the event happened so quickly there was no way they could have prevented it. This was a heart wrenching event that motivated the couple to help stop this from happening to other beloved pets. In April of 2015 the couple started a small business called Coyote Vest Pet Body Armor.

The basic CoyoteVest the Mott’s developed is reinforced with Kevlar, which interestingly was invented by a female chemist named Stephanie Kwolek for DuPont, the same material used in bulletproof vests. The vest comes in a variety of colors with various safety attachments. The SpikeVest takes the basic model up a notch by including spikes around the neck and down the back acting as yet another layer of defense.

CoyoteWhiskers, which are long, brightly colored stems the spray out from the vest can also be added and were designed to make biting an animal wearing one difficult. The bristles are made of very lightweight material so it’s still comfortable to wear but they are stiff enough to cause a larger dog or wild animal to close their eyes if they got too close. The bristles also help change the appearance and shape of your dog to would-be predators. The company website also says, “In nature animals that have sharp quills generally require special treatment, so a coyote stalking your dog may choose a less risky target.”

Birds of prey are a serious threat to small dogs. Their incredibly sharp talons are made for snatching up animals and do considerable damage in the process. To help combat this threat there is the HawkShield that can be added to the basic CoyoteVest. This is a light weight strip that adds three more layers of Kevlar along the dog or cats back where birds tend to grasp they prey.

The designs are getting more diverse as the company does more product research and get feedback from customers. Their latest offing is the CoyoteZapper. This new apparatus uses a dog training collar that was originally designed to train dogs with a shock to the neck. The CoyoteZapper insulates the training collar so that it does not shock your dog on the neck. The device is remote controlled so when it is activated your dog will feel nothing but a hawk or coyote will get the non-lethal but attention getting shock. The voltage is directed to electrically conductive cloth rails that are mounted along the length of the vest. Anything that is touching both of the rails at the same time will feel the shock.

The starter pack, which includes a medium CoyoteVest and CoyoteWhiskers is $119.90. The vests are made to be easily cleaned and due to their construction are durable.

There are many ways to help keep your animals healthy and safe so if you have a smaller animal that might be at risk from an attack you may consider investing in a CoyoteVest. To see more information about the company and other products visit coyotevest.com.

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