Meredith Viera dog Jasper survives attack by coyotes
Meredith Viera dog Jasper has survived a coyote attack.
Meredith Viera dog Jasper has survived a coyote attack, according to The Today Show.
The former host of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire originally told this tale to fellow broadcaster and animal advocate Jill Rappaport on the Rappaport to the Rescue podcast on June 24.
The elderly senior dog, who is 16 in human years (which equates to about 94 in dog years), was coated in blood after the incident and snappish, which is highly out of character. Jasper was rushed to a nearby animal hospital and into emergency surgery, which necessitated numerous stitches on his stomach.
In total, Jasper’s injuries included a broken jaw, two displaced teeth, and several deep puncture wounds.
Jasper is a small dog of unknown heritage, who was sunbathing in the backyard at the time of the attack. It is thought that the coyotes were trespassing, which is how the fight got started (Viera wasn’t home at the time).
Though, as Viera said, “He looks a little like Frankenstein[‘s monster],” his recovery is going well, assisted by a ThunderShirt to prevent gnawing on his stitches.
A CoyoteVest set of pet body armor would have come in handy, as the Shark Tank product was created after just such an occasion.
While coyotes can occasionally be cute, like when they try golf or are accidentally rescued as puppies, they are often dangerous wild canids that present harm for our pets, making them varmints and pests.
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Viera has worked on such esteemed TV programs as 60 Minutes, Dateline, The Today Show and The View during her long broadcasting career, which has included covering the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, and the 2012 London Olympics.
Rappaport is regularly seen on Animal Planet as part of the Puppy Bowl telecasts, and she has been on a variety of NBC News programs as an animal welfare correspondent. Her podcast Rappaport to the Rescue can be found on the Pet Life Radio website.
We’re very glad that Jasper is doing okay, that experience is very traumatic and terrifying.