Video shows 10-pound pooch save brother-pup from coyote in Southern California 

A Maltese who 'weighs 10 pounds and has three teeth' saved his brother-pup from a coyote in their Southern California backyard as video caught the entire heroic interaction. 

Vinny, an 11-year-old pooch, sprang into action in early May when he heard his brother Harley yelping in the corner of their yard after a coyote jumped the fence.

Harley had been in the coyote's mouth his owner says and danger was looming on the other side of the fence as another coyote was just feet away. 

Despite his age and physical state, Vinny did not hesitate to chase after the coyote in the yard in video taken on their owner's backyard surveillance camera. 

'He's always been a scrapper, oh yeah,' David Mascaluso told KTLA. 'The first day we brought him home, I went and I pet him and he started growling at me.'

Vinny, a 10-pound Maltese who 'weighs 10 pounds and has three teeth' saved his brother-pup from a coyote in their SoCal backyard as video caught the entire heroic interaction

Vinny (on the left) sprang into action in early May when he heard his brother Harley yelping in the corner of their yard after a coyote jumped the fence

Despite his age and physical state, Vinny did not hesitate to chase after the coyote in the yard in video taken on their owner's backyard surveillance camera

The video captured the moments when Harley was initially chased into a corner of the yard by the coyote who had jumped the fence. 

The coyote is seen chasing Harley, a 12 pound morkie, around the yard just seconds before Vinny steps in as the dangerous animal has his brother in his bite. 

As Harley yelps in pain, Vinny sprints across the yard and faces off against the coyote, giving his brother an opportunity to run away. 

'You know, a little 10 pound, three tooth dog…and 11 years old chased off a 60-pound coyote,' the proud dog owner said. 

'So, it's pretty amazing. He did a great job. He's our little hero,' David continued. 

Harley sustained minor injuries during the run-in with the coyote, David and wife Erin Mascaluso said. 

The pup is still dealing with lacerations on his upper back and one on his chest that required stitches, Erin told KTLA. 

He also had bite marks and abrasions on his chest and has been increasingly clingy to Vinny and his pet parents since the incident. 

'I'm so thankful for my dog Vinny,' said David in a social media post. '…My dog Vinny is a hero in a fur suit.' 

'He's always been a scrapper, oh yeah,' David Mascaluso (left) told KTLA. 'The first day we brought him home, I went and I pet him and he started growling at me' 

Harley, a 12 pound morkie according to Erin Mascaluso, sustained minor injuries

Erin and David Mascaluso show off two of Vinny's three teeth 

The SoCal family said they are just glad their dogs are recovering from the incident and that their story may inspire other pet owners to take protective measures. 

'We're typically more vigilant than the average pet owner,' Erin said in a post. 

'This has been the most horrific experience we've gone through. We feel horrible. But by being fully transparent with OUR mistake, we wanted to post this to possibly save the life of another dog,' the dog mom wrote. 

She wrote that it took just '10 seconds' for thing to go awry. 

'Unfortunately, on this one night, we had just taken the dogs out to go potty, and forgot to put the cover on the doggie door,' she wrote. 

'Just as we walked into the kitchen, the dogs heard something and quietly slipped out of the doggie door. Then all hell broke loose,' the post said.

Just like children, Erin said, you cannot 'let your guard down for a second,' especially in an area where coyotes are incredibly common.

According to California's Department of Fish and Wildlife, there could be up to 750,000 coyotes throughout the entire state. 

The exact population, while considered to be relatively large, is unknown. 

The coyote chases around Harley in the Southern California backyard

'We feel horrible. But by being fully transparent with OUR mistake, we wanted to post this to possibly save the life of another dog,' Erin wrote

'I'm so thankful for my dog Vinny,' said David (holding Vinny) in a social media post 

'If you have green spaces in your city, you have coyotes,' Niamh Quinn, a researcher who tracks urban coyotes told the Los Angeles Times in 2022.  

'In fact, you could probably find coyotes making nighttime visits at almost every schoolyard in L.A. County,' Quinn continued. 

Experts say the best thing to do if you see a coyote is to remain calm, slowly back away, and try to keep eye contact. 

You should never run away as it may trigger a predatory response from the coyote.