[News] Coyotes Are Suburban Yorkie Threats

[fasteddie]

The coyote struck just after Judy Burtner released her 3½-pound Yorkshire terrier into the back yard. In a few quick bounds, it grabbed the small dog and bolted away.

"I can still hear the sound in my ears of him yipping, like he was saying, `Mom! Mom! Help me, help me!' " said Burtner, describing the attack last month. "I didn't see it coming. It just snuck up, snatched him and ran."

Burtner and 15 other Arlington Heights residents attended a meeting Wednesday in Village Hall to address increased sightings of urban coyotes and the attack on Burtner's dog, Bentley.

Chris Anchor, wildlife biologist for the Cook County Forest Preserve District, said the area has a large coyote population and tried to assure residents that peaceful cohabitation is possible.

Once, it was rare to see coyotes in urban areas, he said. However, coyote families now roam tree-lined suburbia as well as the alleys of downtown Chicago, he said.

With homes, schools and businesses developing on what were once open fields, farmland and woodlots, human interaction with coyotes will continue to be more prevalent, officials said.

Anchor tags coyotes to study their travel patterns and behavior. Using a satellite tracking device, he has followed the roaming pattern of one animal that lives near the IKEA store at the Northwest Tollway and Illinois Highway 53 in Schaumburg.

Coyotes have adapted well to a suburban lifestyle, he said. They can become a problem because some residents feed them, he said.

"Please, do not feed the coyotes," Anchor warned.

The people at the meeting organized by the village's Police Department sometimes seemed frustrated.

"I see them in my yard at least once a week," said Connie Luckey. "I have to stay in my own back yard so my dogs don't get eaten?"

Luckey, who lives on East Oakton Street, owns Copper, an 8-year-old golden retriever, and Riley, a 4-year-old Bernese mountain dog. "They are like my babies," she said.

Ronald O'Neal, a conservation police officer with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, said state law protects coyotes.

It is illegal to trap or hunt coyotes without a license. When proved necessary by the state, a licensed trapper can be hired, he said.

"There are rules, and taking care of it yourself can cause problems," O'Neal said. "There are penalties."

The punishment for harming or killing a coyote could be nearly a year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500, he said. However, it's legal to use pepper spray if an animal gets too close.

Residents need to change their habits and not create a welcoming environment, officials said. Food, including pet food, shouldn't be left outside a home. Garbage bags should be secured and the number of bird and squirrel feeders limited.

In Arlington Heights, coyote sightings should be reported to the animal warden at the Police Department, 847-368-5300.Tribune photo by George Thompson

Outside with her dog, Missy, Judy Burtner describes how a coyote carried off her other dog, Bentley (below), last month.`I can still hear the sound in my ears of him yipping, like he was saying, `Mom! Mom! Help me, help me!'

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/l...l=chi-news-hed

[lilbumbleybees]

We have a small problem with Coyotes here on Lookout Mtn. I just make sure whenever Bouncer goes out to go potty it is ON A LEASH that is SECURELY attached to my arm. If anything tries to grab my baby, they're taking me down too that's for d*mn sure.

[AngeliFlad]

Originally Posted by fasteddie

The coyote struck just after Judy Burtner released her 3½-pound Yorkshire terrier into the back yard. In a few quick bounds, it grabbed the small dog and bolted away.

"I can still hear the sound in my ears of him yipping, like he was saying, `Mom! Mom! Help me, help me!' " said Burtner, describing the attack last month. "I didn't see it coming. It just snuck up, snatched him and ran."

Burtner and 15 other Arlington Heights residents attended a meeting Wednesday in Village Hall to address increased sightings of urban coyotes and the attack on Burtner's dog, Bentley.

Chris Anchor, wildlife biologist for the Cook County Forest Preserve District, said the area has a large coyote population and tried to assure residents that peaceful cohabitation is possible.

Once, it was rare to see coyotes in urban areas, he said. However, coyote families now roam tree-lined suburbia as well as the alleys of downtown Chicago, he said.

With homes, schools and businesses developing on what were once open fields, farmland and woodlots, human interaction with coyotes will continue to be more prevalent, officials said.

Anchor tags coyotes to study their travel patterns and behavior. Using a satellite tracking device, he has followed the roaming pattern of one animal that lives near the IKEA store at the Northwest Tollway and Illinois Highway 53 in Schaumburg.

Coyotes have adapted well to a suburban lifestyle, he said. They can become a problem because some residents feed them, he said.

"Please, do not feed the coyotes," Anchor warned.

The people at the meeting organized by the village's Police Department sometimes seemed frustrated.

"I see them in my yard at least once a week," said Connie Luckey. "I have to stay in my own back yard so my dogs don't get eaten?"

Luckey, who lives on East Oakton Street, owns Copper, an 8-year-old golden retriever, and Riley, a 4-year-old Bernese mountain dog. "They are like my babies," she said.

Ronald O'Neal, a conservation police officer with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, said state law protects coyotes.

It is illegal to trap or hunt coyotes without a license. When proved necessary by the state, a licensed trapper can be hired, he said.

"There are rules, and taking care of it yourself can cause problems," O'Neal said. "There are penalties."

The punishment for harming or killing a coyote could be nearly a year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500, he said. However, it's legal to use pepper spray if an animal gets too close.

Residents need to change their habits and not create a welcoming environment, officials said. Food, including pet food, shouldn't be left outside a home. Garbage bags should be secured and the number of bird and squirrel feeders limited.

In Arlington Heights, coyote sightings should be reported to the animal warden at the Police Department, 847-368-5300.Tribune photo by George Thompson

Outside with her dog, Missy, Judy Burtner describes how a coyote carried off her other dog, Bentley (below), last month.`I can still hear the sound in my ears of him yipping, like he was saying, `Mom! Mom! Help me, help me!'

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/l...l=chi-news-hed

That's so horrible, I would just die if this happened to my baby...

[jacksonbrown]

I had an almost two-year old poodle name Bailey. He was my absolulte pride and joy. It happened on the Fouth of July in 2004 in Orange County, California. My Bailey started to bark hysterically and we couldn't figure out why. Bailey kept barking and barking and then he ran outside..........the coyote jumped over the fence into our back yard and snatched Bailey up. He cried all the way down the street. Our neighbors came out and we all began to run after the coyote, but it was too late. The coyote had eaten a big chunk of his teeny stomach and bailey had passed away.

Since this tragedy occured, we have put up iron railing too tall for an animal to jump over. But I will NEVER get over his death. Since then my fiance and I have gotten jackson , our yorkie, and he helps to mend my heart everyday.

[Hannah]

but I don't understand WHY people think it's okay to let their dogs outside unattended. Especially little ones. I'm not talking about when they accidentally get outside (as in the case of the poodle)- but when they are left outside intentionally . I have ,in addition to my Yorkie, a strapping 85 pound Lab who I do not leave outside EXCEPT in a fenced in dog run to do his business. We have coyotes and hawks here, but even if we didn't I wouldn't let my dogs alone outside. Especially my Yorkie!

[stinky]

We have coyotes where I live too. You can hear them at night but I’ve only encountered one once on my run. My biggest concern when I let my little girl out is other people. I’m afraid someone will steal her, so I keep a very close eye on her when she’s out.

A friend of mine lost a Chihuahua to a hawk. So when she was real small I was concerned about that too.

[cake]

We

Our first little Yorkie slipped out of our house when we weren't watching, and promptly went out on the road and got hit by a car. We were heart broken. We now have Maggie-Jo and she is a sweetie. But she never gets outside without her leash and one of us with her. We worry about coyotes too. Also heard of a hawk grabbing a Yorkie out of her yard and carrying her off.

[SnowWa]

I had a hawk come from behind me at almost 100 miles an hour (even the noise was frightening), and its wing brushed through my hair - as it tried to grab a baby quail only a foot or two in front of me.

I certainly worry about my dog. We have hawks around my house. And, an occasional coyote also.

It would be heartbreaking................................

Carol Jean

[Mydogkelsey]

Oh my goodness that is so frightening!

[livingdustmops]

Sad to say but many people who move to Arizona have lost their pups because of the many predatory animals we live with in the desert. What is scary to me is that many of these coyotes have gotten very used to people and they walk our neighborhoods like a normal dog would. I was out walking 2 of my little ones and I was being stalked by a very aggressive coyote even though I had picked up the kids. Luckily a man came along with 2 big shepards and he let me walk with him back home. Needless to say I don't walk my little ones anymore (I have a big backyard that is walled) so now I only have to worry about the hawks, the owls, the snakes and maybe an occasional bobcat or mountain lion. My little guys never go outside without me.

[Catrina]

My neighbor recently lost their 15 yr old golden retriever. They were looking everywhere and then they went to our yard and asked us if we have seen their dog. Then a while later, we saw a coyote run across our yard with a big white foot in its mouth. Then we told the neighbors and we looked at our front yard, there was white dog fur everywhere and peices of skin scattered around! IT was SO SAD! The man said he had the dog for 15 years and he doesn't know how he's going to tell his wife when she comes home. I never let my Yorkie out now, unless shes with me or has a leash. Scary!!

[megan_kat22]

omg that is so horrible... im so glad we've never had incidents like that around here...

a few months ago an alligator got a small poodle at the lake here, and a mountain lion got a cocker spaniel a few hours away, but i'm hoping that is something that will never happen here

[Lexi Rae]

these are horrifying stories. omg, i cant even imagine it... please watch your pups to the fullest.. please be careful guys and gals....

[yorkieusa]

Coyotes used to be scared of people, but now people live in their territory. We have a big yard and we were finishing our riding mowing. It had gotten dark and we were mowing with the lights on when a coyote just ran across the yard and stopped and looked at us. Wasn't even scared of us.

[Ricki]

We have them sited around where I live also. My dogs have a doggie door that goes out into a totally enclosed kennel chain link fencing. My husband partially roofed a section of it so we can hang tarps in the winter. The rest of the kennel he covered with Chicken wire and wired it to the Chain link fencing. My dogs do not go outside the kennel without being with us and on a leash. I agree, if something tried to grab one of my babies, they would have to take me down also! I don't think I could live if one of my babies got hurt by another animal, especially if I could hear them crying. How horrible. I think they give to many details in the article like (It sounded like it was crying mom help me). It made me cry when I read it. Now I am totally depressed!