HOLDEN — A teenager in Livingston Parish fought off a coyote while protecting her animals last Wednesday.

Lainey Mitchell said she was at her home in Holden and noticed her horses were running from a pond levee. Her dog then ran to her growling. Mitchell said her dog never growls unless provoked, and that's when she saw the coyote.

"I knew it was coming after my dog so I grabbed it and threw it and all the horses started running and I thought I’m screwed,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell said she was quick to think on her feet to grab the coyote by its snout and wrangling it. She touts her work training with dogs at Precision K9 Shaping giving her good instincts on how to handle the situation.

“I’m glad I thought it was a dog at first and not a coyote because I probably wouldn’t have fought the same way,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell said fighting off the wild animal was not easy. She said she was bruised and received several scars along her hands and arms.

“My whole face was bruised because I threw it over and it hit its back, but its whole body hit my face,” she said.

She said even after defeating the wild animal, fighting a coyote is something she does not want to do again.

“Like my mom even told me, don’t get cocky, 'cause next thing you know, you’re screwed if this happens again because you’re going to think you’re the best thing ever,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell said she wants to be a veterinarian, which helps her feel more confident handling animals in the future.