Advocate: Protecting pets from coyote attacks

Staff Reports- 04/17/2008

Stepping out the front door these past few mornings and taking a deep breath of the sweet, warm air has been a pleasure long forgotten. The last few months were pretty mild as winters go, but that doesn't make the rejuvenating weather any less welcome.

However, the onset of spring brings a rash (sometimes literally) of potential hazards, one of which has occurred with increasing frequency over the past several years. Pets enjoy the good weather as much as humans, and often can't wait to get outside. But there are dangers out there these days that they aren't prepared for, that can turn a backyard jaunt into a tragedy.

As we continue to chew up undeveloped land in our communities, we encroach on wildlife habitats and open ourselves to encounters we'd rather avoid.

Enter the coyote.

News earlier this month of an attack that left a small dog in North Stamford clinging to life served as a reminder that our pets can be vulnerable to predators when they are outdoors. A 13-year-old Lhasa Apso went missing early in the morning of April 6, and was found by his owners hours later in a wooded area bleeding from puncture wounds in the neck. Something, most likely a coyote, picked up the 18-pound dog and carried it away.

Incidents like this have become increasingly common over the past decade. The case that received the most attention was when the dog belonging to Greenwich residents Kathie Lee and Frank Gifford was killed by a coyote in 2003. But that was one of many.

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In the five years prior to that attack, nearly 50 similar incidents were reported around the state.
Just a cursory perusal of our records shows several dogs killed by coyotes in recent years in our area, including a 2004 incident in which a Jack Russell terrier was killed in his back yard in Greenwich.

"We sometimes field several calls a week, and this problem has been increasing over the last decade," Chris Vann, a wildlife biologist for the state Department of Environmental Protection, told our reporter Donna Porstner.

Experts say coyotes are more likely to attack cats than dogs. And while they are a particular danger when it's dark, coyotes and other wild animals are hard to predict. That means pet owners have to be ever-vigilant about their animals. Experts say to monitor your dogs when they are outside, especially smaller canines, and keep cats inside. That last one won't go over well with many cats, or their owners. Cats are very independent creatures, and like their space to roam. While some think it isn't right to make them stay inside, it is a decision that owners will have to make.

Pet owners should also know that some security measures used to protect their animals won't work on predators. For example, underground electric fences might be effective in keeping dogs in the yard, but they won't keep animals out.

Owners are asking for trouble if they leave food outside for their pets, or if food smells are emanating from garbage cans. That goes for table scraps in compost piles, food scraps on barbecue grills and fruit that has fallen from trees.

If dogs and cats must be left alone, a 6-foot fence is the best way to protect them.

"People may live in an area for years and never suspect their yard is a potential hunting ground," says Mr. Vann of the DEP.

An unsettling thought. But it's one pet owners shouldn't forget if they want to protect their dogs and cats.