FOLSOM LAKE, Calif. -- A coyote attack at Folsom Lake is causing concern for some area residents and their pets.

Elaine LaMotta said that she took her two dogs, Hudson and Divina, out for a morning run Tuesday on the horse trail near Twin Rocks Road and Granite Bay Beach at Folsom Lake when she heard a strange sound.

"Hudson made a very odd sound. It wasn't a bark, but a yelp," LaMotta said.

LaMotta said that a pair of coyotes surrounded her dogs, and that one of the wild animals started biting Hudson. Hudson suffered four deep puncture wounds in his hind leg.

LaMotta said her yelling and rock-throwing had almost no effect.

"Not at all. They were completely fearless of me. They both just looked at me like, 'What are you doing?' Never once did they back off," LaMotta said.

"They are much less fearful of people than they used to be," California Fish and Game Department spokesman Patrick Foy said.

The two coyotes that terrorized LaMotta and her pets finally gave up after a few minutes.

As homes and people spread more into what used to be wilderness, coyote encounters have increased, according to officials. Last year, there were 17 attacks. Most of them were in Southern California, but one was in Orangevale.

"They are growing more comfortable, and they are persisting in their normal behavior, but in areas that are much closer to people and closer than most people are comfortable with," Foy said.

While experts say it's not uncommon for coyotes to feed on backyard pets in the foothills, they also say the animals rarely attack when humans are around.

Experts say that if you come across a coyote, you should wave your arms, hold a coat over your head to appear larger, throw rocks or blow a whistle. They also say to report attacks to authorities.