December: in like a hybrid-wolf...

...out like a angsty vampire?

I had intended to post a nice "Happy December" festive post today, but boy, did some crazy stuff go down waaaay too early in the morning.

Here's the photo I was going to use:

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At 5:15 this is how things looked in our neighborhood:
artist's rendition
When we saw it Lebowski began barking his head off and I was flashing my mag-lite in the beast's eyes, trying to scare it, but that just seemed to draw it closer. Then it started to circle us! I tried my best to channel Cesar Milan and stay "calm assertive" and slowly back down the driveway towards the house, but it followed us. In my head I was thinking "Crap! Now it knows where we live!" and then realized how ridiculous I was being. Luckily, the garage door closed in time or I don't know what I would have done.
I know that if the creature wanted to chase us it totally could have and then ripped our faces off. The creepiest part was looking out the kitchen window and seeing it sitting all relaxed in front of our unit looking directly at me. It does know where we live!

I called Animal Control later this morning, but they simply told me that if it's a coyote there's nothing that can be done because they're protected. I didn't believe one of our neighbors when he told me that the people that lived in our unit had their dachshund killed by a coyote, but now I'm a believer. I just hope that the vampire attack that happens around New Year's Eve isn't too painful (boooo! lame!).

If anyone has some self-defense against giant labrador-sized-hybrid-coyote-wolves, please, please let me know!