Whether it was a pack of coyotes or dogs, it does not change the fear in Robert Bennington's heart when he was almost attacked recently.

On Wednesday, Bennington went to feed his horse at the farm a half-mile west of Streator on Route 18 when he suddenly noticed something was wrong.

"One of the elder horses, Blue, she took off running like a bat out of hell in front of me," said Bennington, who is 67 years old. "I said to myself, 'What's the matter with you?' "

It did not take Bennington long to find out as the malngy pack of animals approached and tried to attack him and the horses, according to his account.

"I called out to my horse, I said, 'Scottee, get by daddy fast,'" Bennington said. "And what happened next was amazing."

Bennington said Scottee, along with the three other horses on the farm, made a circle around Bennington and pushed him tightly into the middle to protect him. Bennington said the largest coyote made a leap at a horse named Danny Boy and was kicked in the head. A black and grey coyote then made a rush at Bennington.

"My horse Scottee wheeled around and kicked him dead center," said Bennington, who started to cry recalling the story. "The coyote started whining and they ran off. All I can remember after that is resting my head on Scottee and crying. They saved my life."

Bennington was not harmed in the incident.

Fellow horse owner Elsie Smith said there were previous reports of coyotes hanging around the area.

La Salle County Animal Control officer Gary Wind said while he is not sure a pack of coyotes would act like that around humans, he knows it is not uncommon behavior for a pack of hungry dogs.

"I know something happened out there," Wind said. "When you talk to Mr. Bennington, you can tell he was quite shook up."

Wind advised people in rural areas to be aware of their surroundings, especially when alone. He suggested carrying a stick or a weapon to fend off animals if such an attack were to occur. He said after an attack to call La Salle County Animal Control or La Salle County Sheriff immediately so personnel could be dispatched to rectify the situation.

Wind was not notified of Bennington's attack until the next day, making it too hard to locate the animal pack. To hunt coyotes, the season is open when there is no currently regulated deer season. The hunter must be licensed and have a firearms owner identification card. Despite local rumor, Wind confirmed there are no bounties on coyotes.