Zeus It was the habit of 5pound Pomeranian Zeus to meet danger head-on whenever he felt his mate or his puppy was being threatened.

That's what Zeus' grieving owner, Renee Merrill, is certain happened at 9:20 a.m. April 19, when she let her three tiny dogs in the backyard for a few minutes.

Although she heard barking soon after they'd gone outside, that wasn't unusual, she said, since there's a "circus of squirrels doing tricks in the pine trees teasing the dogs" every day.

But when she went to let them inside less than 10 minutes later, only two came back. No Zeus. She and her family shouted for him and ran around looking for their pet.

"Not only was Zeus our beloved family dog who was always there for us when we needed him, he was also being signed with an animal agency for commercials, print ads and TV," Merrill said.

The little guy had proven invaluable when the family grieved the loss of Merrill's father, who died at the end of February.

"Zeus was taking turns sitting in our laps and sleeping with us to offer us comfort," Merrill said.

The dog belonged to Circle of Poms, a group that helps rescue unwanted and disabled Pomeranians and does therapy work with seniors and children in the hospital.

"Zeus was a huge favorite for his unusual coloring, cheerful personality, caring demeanor and plucky little walk," Merrill said.

The family has lived with pets in their home on Crown Haven Court since 1991 with no coyote problems. Their half-acre yard has a wrought-iron fence more than 5 feet high and topped with sharp points.

The search of an area nearby revealed Zeus' lifeless body with a broken neck and coyote bite marks behind his ears.

Merrill is aware there are coyotes here but said she thought her dogs were safe in the backyard during the day. She was aware that neighborhood cats that roam freely would sometimes fall prey to wild animals but didn't think dogs in their own backyards were vulnerable.

She imagines the coyote jumped the fence and Zeus took a stance to protect his lady and pup as he'd done many times before at the local dog park. This time he gave his life to protect them, she said.

Merrill said she'll be going out with her dogs one at a time on a leash in her backyard until she gets a higher fence with barbed wire on top.

Ideas for coyote-proofing backyards can be found at www.countyofventura.org/ animalreg/coyotesfences.html.

Merrill felt Zeus was someday going to be famous. Now, perhaps, his fate will encourage others to take greater precautions in protecting their pets from coyotes.