BUCKEYE, Ariz. -- A coyote attacked a Buckeye boy on Wednesday, according to officials from the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

Jonathon Burchett, 8, said he was riding his bike on a desert path when he spotted four or five coyotes. He was on his way to school. He said a pair of coyote pups started chasing him.

"They jumped and nailed me in my foot," said Burchett. “I was a little scared.”

Although Burchett was not seriously hurt, officials recommended he undergo a series of rabies shots, just in case.

Burchett said the rabies shots hurt more than the actual coyote bite.

"Anytime wildlife interacts with the general public, certainly there's a concern from us because there's always the potential to exposure to the rabies virus," said Mark Stewart, of Arizona Game and Fish.

Stewart said wildlife officials were working to trap coyotes in the area to see if any of the animals tested positive for rabies.

Burchett’s family said they've been going door to door -- telling neighbors what happened -- because Bales Elementary School has yet to send a letter home to parents. A school official said they were waiting on confirmation from the state before notifying parents.

"Coyotes are natural here, but there should be some way of taking care of them and notifying kids to stay out of these areas," said James Stark, Burchett’s grandfather.

Wildlife officials confirmed that while they consider this incident an attack, they did not think it was predatory in nature. Coyote pups are playful the way puppies are, and the bite was likely accidental, said officials.

"We always encourage folks who see wild animals to keep their distance from them. Don't get close; if the animal comes toward them, we ask that you make yourself larger. Make a lot of noise to try and scare the animal off. Ninety-nine percent of the time that works very, very well," said Stewart.