Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 24, 2010. Arrow indicates approximate location of the coyote attack was on the Lake View side of Red Car Canyon. (Click on photo to enlarge.)
This afternoon, a Riverside Place neighbor called and confirmed he witnessed the fatal coyote attack on a Fox Terrier on Saturday, around 4 PM. He said the blood curdling yelp of the dog was something he'd never forget. He described a very large coyote running off when the owner and his two large dogs ran up the hill after the small dog.
Coyotes don't just hunt at night. I've seen more coyotes around 10 AM, than any other time of day. We have a history of very large healthy coyotes in this neighborhood.
Coyotes will also hunt in packs. A few years ago, there was a pack of three of the largest coyotes I have ever seen, stalking me and my decrepit old 45lb (on-leash) dog. They also stalked a 6'3" tall neighbor with his three 100-lb dogs (on-leash) in the canyon. The coyotes were known to have a den near the canyon on Lake View.
The same three coyotes were seen routinely stalking mid-sized, off-leash dogs, using the parked cars for cover - day and night. One coyote would lure the dog close then at the last minute the other two would run out from between the parked cars. Luckily the owners were quick to chase off the coyotes and recall their dogs.
Keep your dogs on a leash. Do not leave your small dogs in your yard unattended.
For more info on living with coyotes, see the City's Animal Services Website.
For more info on living with coyotes, see the City's Animal Services Website.
