COYOTE AWARENESS
Spring is here! This is the most imporant time to watch for coyotes as we enjoy the beautiful outdoors with our pets!
Living in the Sonoran desert can lead to wonderful sights, new experiences and even interesting animals to see but not all experiences with our desert critters can be pleasant. One of the most frequent things we hear from our pet owners are the mention of coyotes in their neighborhood or even their very own backyard. With coyotes, a distant cousin of our very own pooch, being seen daily if not several times a day it is easy to fall into a false sense of security. Unfortunately one of our very own clients recently discovered that coyotes are one of the deserts’ predators and a threat to our beloved pets. Sadie, a sweet 9 year old Shih Tzu was attacked by a coyote in early May of 2017. Judy had started her morning the same as any other typical Monday morning. Early in the morning Judy suddenly heard Sadie yelping outside. Concerned Judy ran outside to find Sadie severally wounded. She unknowingly scared off the culprit, a coyote, which now stood on her 6 foot concert wall. Sadie was rushed to Ahwatukee Commons Veterinary Hospital, where she was triaged but unfortunately Sadie did not make it. The ACVH all agreed that we should and would raise more awareness about the dangers of living with such close proximity to coyotes.
Here are a list of some things we are reminding our pet owners
– Pets should never be left unsupervised outside even in an fenced area like a backyard, coyotes are known to easily scale 7 foot walls or higher, small dogs and cats are especially at risk as they are easily carried off by coyotes
– If you do seen a coyote in your back yard Arizona Game and Fish Encourage you to scare if off. You can scare if off with the use of loud music, or making other loud noises with the use of pots and pans, you can also use a garden hose to spray the coyote
– Do not leave any pet food outside and make sure that all garbage is stored inside a bin that wildlife cannot get into
– If walking your pet on the leash, please keep leash less then 6 feet in length
– IF you see a coyote on your walk pick up small dogs and/or keep larger dogs at your side, Do NOT Approach, remain CALM, keep eye contact with the animal; make yourself as big as possible and be LOUD. DO NOT RUN, running may encourage them to attack or chase
For further information about what to do when approached by a coyote please follow these links.
https://www.azgfd.com/PortalImages/files/wildlife/livingwith/Coyote_Brochure_v7_final.pdf
http://urbancoyoteinitiative.com/what-to-do-if-you-encounter-a-coyote-while-walking-your-dog/