(NEWS) Coyote suspected in dog disappearance
 

Coyote suspected in dog disappearance | Cincinnati.com | Cincinnati.Com

BLUE ASH -- Les and Elece Kovel thought their 15-year-old dog, Bauer, had become confused and wandered off when he didn't return in a few minutes after being let outside just before bedtime.

They looked for him in their Blue Ash neighborhood on foot and in their car, but didn't find him.

The next morning, Elece saw white fur from her dog and brown fur from another animal in their front yard. A state wildlife expert who looked at the brown fur gave her the bad news: The brown fur was from a coyote that apparently had killed her black-and-white Papillion, a small dog, and dragged him away.

"A coyote attacked him about 30 feet from our front door," Elece said. "I had just been away from the front door for a few minutes."

The incident serves as a grim reminder that this is a time of year when coyotes often roam residential areas hunting for food for their newborn puppies.

"They're also teaching their puppies how to hunt in order to survive," said Josh Zientek, a state wildlife officer assigned to Hamilton County.

Coyotes are afraid of people, but prey on small dogs and cats, especially in the evenings hours, the coyotes' favorite time to roam. Their usual prey are rodents and rabbits.

Zientek and other wildlife experts suggest that people let their small dogs and cats outdoors only when they can watch them.

"If they see small dogs and cats, it's an easy meal for them," Zientek said.

Jerry Lippert, a naturalist with the Hamilton County Park District, said when people spot coyotes in their yards, they should chase them away.

"Yell at them, throw things at them, teach them that they're not supposed to be there," he said. "You don't want to let them get comfortable in your yard."

While the coyote population in the region has grown significantly in the past 20 years, there's no indication that there are more coyotes this year than last year, Lippert and Zientek said. The Ohio Division of Wildlife has no reliable estimate of Ohio's coyote population.

Blue Ash Police Chief Chris Wallace said coyotes have killed dogs and cats in Blue Ash in previous years. He encourages people to call the police and report coyote attacks or sightings.

To avoid attracting coyotes, residents should never leave pet food or any other kind of food outside, Wallace said.

"Some people feed the coyotes because they think they're like dogs," he said. "But they're not. They're wild predators."

OMG! I was just in Blue Ash last month for my nephew's wedding. I cannot imagine how awful that attack must have been. Coyotes are so bold nowadays coming into the cities instead of staying in the woods and the wild! Those poor people and their poor puppy.

I just saw a coyote run in front of my car yesterday on my way to work! It was 9:30 AM and it walked from the gated community right across the street from me into a bunch of bushes. It doesn't matter if you are in the middle of the country or right in a VERY large town (as I am) they are out there and will eat your pets for food. Please be very careful whether it is day or night because they will go after your small and large dogs and cats.

Jenny~I see that your siggy has been changed from FOSTER pup to NEWEST FAMILY MEMBER. Congratulations on your adoption! :)

:eek::eek::eek:
Yes....... they ARE around. We seen one last year in our neighbors backyard.... and we live in a subdivision!!!!! I think it is best not to let your little dogs out unattended.

I couldn't believe when I read that, Blue Ash of all places!

Our homeowner's association has sent out three emails over the past few months that coyotes have been spotted quite a bit in our community. A few months back they showed up at the bus stop with small children!
It's so weird, I haven't seen one yet and I don't ever remember hearing about coyotes growing up in Cincinnati!

we have a pack of them in our neighborhood, I have to be really careful in the morning and night letting cash out to potty.

I see them cruisin' up my street, or wandering through the school yard frequently. There's no way that I'd let Missy outside without a leash and me with her.

They are scary-- both out here in Washington, and where I used to live in Michigan I've seen some pretty bad injuries to animals caused by coyotes. There was a German Shepherd mix brought into the animal hospital that I worked at in Michigan who had been very well torn up by a coyote even though the coyote must have been only half the size of the dog. I've also seen a few cats who were messed up pretty badly by them, and have heard tons and tons of stories of cats being killed. When I was in Michigan I was in a fairly rural area, but I've seen them running around near my new home in Washington too and we are very much in the suburbs here!

I feel sorry for them, to be honest. They're another victim of urban sprawl-- we've taken so much of their habitat away that they've got no other option but to live on top of us, which is a situation neither of us prefer.