They can be right, it was just what they said in our local paper so I assume it was just a local DEC guy they quoted and not any biologist. I always felt the animals that attacked the ladies dog was wolves (rare here but they do exist) or two wild stray dogs. Wish they would have put a picture when they got them. Stray dogs can look pretty ratty like the fur on a coyote. I myself seen a lot of coyotes, never saw any type of cross breed in all the years I been in the woods. Got lots of coyotes right back of me in the grapevines.