MADISON, Wisconsin- A family is still looking for their dog that was snatched by an urban coyote. At 5:30 a.m. Mary Lee Wagnus let the family's Dachshund, Buster, out into the yard, left briefly and returned in time to see a coyote run off with Buster in its mouth. Experts say Madison has an endemic coyote population and the nocturnal animals are well-adjusted to urban life, coming out from parks and other areas at dawn and dusk. "They may not be viewing another dog as food," added Patrick Comfert from Public Health of Dane County. "They may be viewing it as competition for territory or a mate." Wagnus finds the idea that her little Buster could be perceived as competition for an amorous male coyote as insult to injury. "Old Buster could barely get himself back up our steps let alone service a coyote."

BOUNTIFUL, Utah- Parents with little kids know they spend much of December waiting for Santa Claus to show up. Marla and Casey Keller's kids got their expected visit from Santa but a five-foot buck got inside the house, too. Not long after Santa stopped the deer came in and stomped all over the packages Santa had just left turning them into a pile of paper and ribbon and toy remains. "When you're waiting for Santa's reindeer to land on your roof, and one of them comes through your basement window, well, our kids are not gonna forget it," said Casey Keller. The buck tripped on a basement window-well and crashed though the egress window, then into the room where all the presents were. Marla said, "Our kids now think Santa travels with some pretty clumsy reindeer." Officers with Wildlife Resources came and had to put the deer down to get it out. To keep the kids from seeing it Casey drove them over to his parents but on the way another deer jumped in front of the car and hit them broadside. "I've had enough of these deer, I can tell you that."

SEQUIM, Washington- A video of a young girl waving to a giant Kodiak bear at the Olympic Game Farm in Sequim has gone viral on the internet because to her astonishment, and delight, the bear just as excitedly, waves back. This particular bear retired to the Olympic facility after a long career in show business, but zoologist Dieter Hanterschaum worries if kids grow up thinking all bears are as friendly as this one it could lead to disaster down the road. "If some kid on a field trip comes across a wild bear and waves at it, that is tantamount to saying, 'Eat me.'"

SITKA, Alaska- Tom Satre had not gotten out on his boat all summer and fall but finally got a break in his schedule for one Saturday out fishing. Only one problem, four deer swam out to his boat before he got a line wet and demanded to come aboard. "Strangest thing I have ever seen. Four deer headed straight for me and banged on the swim platform till I let them on board. What do you do then? I headed in and got them off the boat and called the wife to tell her about it. She told me she just broke the garbage disposal, so I headed home. Those deer saved a bunch a fish from being caught," said the frustrated occasional fisherman.

KIPPERING, Alaska- A whale nearly ruined the teeth of everyone in the tiny village of Kippering. The only dentist working in a 50 mile radius, Dr. Peter Puudnaut, was out kayaking when a grey whale nearly swallowed him whole. Puudnaut said when he was in the giant maw of the whale "My only thought was, 'Row like like a mother, you stupid son of a %&@#!." He then added, "As I was dropping into the whales mouth for some reason I thought 'If I die who is going to fix Nanook Tibute's abscess at 4?' Then I said, 'Paddle, schmuck.'" Dr. Puudnaut escaped being a human herring by fractions of a second and the teeth of Kippering and the surrounding area will continue to be served.

BATTLE CREEK, Michigan-- A 65-year-old man is in serious condition after he was struck by a deer while walking on his own street. Witnesses indicated the man stopped for about 15 deer that crossed Lakeshore Drive near 24th Street. After the deer passed the recently retired gun shop owner proceeded to head home but three more deer came out of nowhere and pummeled the man into the pavement. "Next time I'll be packing," said the victim, who asked to remain anonymous.

SHERMAN OAKS, California- Mary Holland has always been a dog person. Yet always ends up having cats. "I was never a cat fan but friends leave their cats with me while they are out on the road, doing gigs and then somehow they're just mine after awhile." Holland has been won over though by one particular cat named Quantas that just loves to fly. "An Australian bass player friend rescued Quantas and now when I come home, everyday, Quantas has turned on the ceiling fan and is spinning around the room til I make him stop." Her vet has advised Holland to not allow Quantas to do this anymore but she says, "Who am I to say No? This cat just loves to get airborne."

JACKSON, Mississippi- The annual Christmas pageant in Jackson has always gone off without a hitch. That is until this year. To highlight the plight of abandoned dogs and cats, pageant co-chairs and SPCA volunteers Arnie and Bertie Fielkow, insist they will carry a mutt named Digsby instead of a doll to represent the baby Jesus. Several church leaders and other groups have joined to file an injunction to stop the Fielkows from going through with their plan. "It will ruin my whole Christmas if I see Digsby in that manger," said long time pageant fan Sandra Jo Kefauver.

KEARNEY, Nebraska- A proud owner of over 286 different recipes for meals made with venison, James J. Morin, has never passed up a shot at taking home a deer. Until this year. Morin was bow hunting at his favorite spot when two deer wandered into range. Just as he raised knocked his arrow the deer noticed him but instead of running away, "They started doing the weirdest damn dance I have ever seen. For three, four minutes, they did this 60's hippie dance, but then it looked like a polka, too. I put my bow down to take a picture of it and that's when they ran off. These were either really smart deer or they just love to dance."

RAHWAY, New Jersey- A flying squirrel invaded the emergency room at New Jersey's Robert Wood Johnson Hospital. Now an ordinary squirrel might just hide in a corner, then dash for the nearest exit. But this gifted flying rodent repeatedly launched itself from an 8-foot-high wall-mounted lamp, in order to avoid firefighters from the Rahway Fire Department."It would jump off and glide," said Capt. Ted Padavano. "It looked like a hell bent little square fuzzy glider." Even stranger, this was the second time in two weeks that a flying squirrel had taken over the hospital's 15-by-15-foot trauma room. Padavana is already anticipating a return visit from the small, airborne creatures, speculating that they may be a nest inside the hospital. "Either that, or there is a doctor here named Bullwinkle," he said.