For a long time, it was Hugo and Hurley, the inseparable four-legged duo in the Meyer household.
"Hurley was a Golden Doodle and this is a Norwich Terrier," Doug Meyer said, petting Hugo who was snuggled up next to him.
However, since Hurley's disappearance on Wednesday, Doug and Stephanie said Hugo hasn't been himself.
Stephanie said she came home from work on Wednesday and let her dogs out as usual in their backyard. She explained the two dogs usually take a few seconds to do their business before they sit on the deck, waiting to be let inside.
"When I opened the door, only one dog was there," Stephanie said. "We called for him, we yelled for him. It was unlike for him to be missing."
She said she and her oldest son immediately went searching when they came across coyote tracks.
"Looking at the tracks, it seemed like a coyote or two had come five to seven feet of the deck," Stephanie explained.
As developments pop up in areas that were once rural, DNR spokesperson Harland Hiemstra said it's inevitable that once in a while, humans and wildlife may come head-to-head.
"We co-exist with wildlife and most of the times it works out well," Hiemstra said. "Sometimes it creates problems for us just as we create problems for wildlife."
While coyote attacks are uncommon, Hiemstra said they do happen, bringing heartache.
"We'll have to figure out what life looks like with just one," Stephanie said.
Both Doug and Stephanie added that they are still thankful for the 11 years they got to spend with their small Golden Doodle, Hurley. They said they hope others who have chosen to live close to nature will take extra caution.
"Simply want to put the warning out there, 'hey this happened to us, I don't want it to happen to anyone else,'" Doug said. "Please be cautious I don't want this to happen to other pets and kids."
The DNR says it's crucial not to leave any potential food sources out in the wild for coyotes to get to. If you do come face-to-face with a coyote, you can make loud noises or do other things to scare them from coming back.
You can find more coyote tips on their website.