Coyotes killing pets in Lakewood
By Bill Scanlon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Originally published 02:07 p.m., June 25, 2008
Updated 02:57 p.m., June 25, 2008
Coyotes with big appetites are on the prowl in metro Denver.
In Lakewood near Alameda High School one apparently already has killed two dogs and a cat.
Fox-31 reports that David Hurd's family lost two dogs to coyotes in their Lakewood neighborhood, and a homeowner two doors away lost her cat — just in the past few days.
The Colorado Division of Wildlife says there has been no significant uptick in the number of reports of coyotes killing domestic pets.
But Lakewood Animal Control supervisor Holly Gilbertson said, "We seem to be on a higher cycle, population-wise, with coyotes."
She said she probably is getting one or two calls a week on coyotes — they've been seen in neighborhoods, or they're the leading suspects in pet snatching.
Division of Wildlife spokesman Tyler Baskfield said coyotes are comfortable in metro Denver's urban environment, especially if there is some open space nearby that provides cover.
The problem usually starts because someone decides to feed the coyotes, Baskfield said.
"One neighbor might have two little dogs or cats and is scared to death of the coyotes, while the neighbor right next to them loves to see the coyotes everyday and puts out a pound of hamburger at night to lure them in."
It's not possible to feed coyotes so much hamburger that they lose their taste for rabbits, rodents, cats and dogs, Baskfield said. "It just encourages their appetite. Nothing good happens from feeding wildlife."
Deliberate feeding certainly happens, Gilbertson said, "But more often than not the problem is unintentional feeding."
People will leave the cat food or the dog food outside, or they'll keep the trash cans out all week filled with the scraps from dinner — all of which can convince coyotes that this is a great neighborhood for food — be it alive or dead.
Coyotes are looking for spots that provide food, water and shelter, she said. When the supply of rodents runs low, they'll look for pet food and garbage, but they're happy to snag a family pet if it comes to that.
Cats are much more likely to be snatched than dogs, she said. "There is no leash law for cats here," so pet owners are prone to letting the cats out at night.
"If the cats were inside the person's home where they're supposed to be, they'd be safe," she said.
The usual list of precautions includes:
leaving the trash in the garage or shed until the morning of trash pickup
feeding the pets indoors
bringing the cats and small dogs inside at night.
first and foremost, not feeding wild animals.
Another intriguing safeguard could be added to that list, if a new products proves workable.
Some companies are making 6-foot fences with a rolling bar on top. If a coyote — or a dog prone to jump the fence — gets front paws on the bar, it is supposed to roll, propelling the animal back to the ground on the right side of the fence.
Still, the primary safeguard is to make the neighborhood unattractive to coyotes in the first place, Gilbertson said.
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June 25, 2008
2:38 p.m.
Suggest removal
dirkle writes:
♫♫ ... ahh OOOOOOOOoooooooooo ....
.... coyotes of Lakewood ...
..... ahh-OOOOOOOOoooooooooo!! .... ♫♫
June 25, 2008
2:46 p.m.
Suggest removal
Squatch writes:
keep your animals inside if you cant handle WILDLIFE.
June 25, 2008
2:59 p.m.
Suggest removal
samsmargolis writes:
dirkle - darn funny, man.
Squatch - amen. No whining about wildlife munching up Fluffy if your fences are inadequate, you live next to (or connected to) open space and you have house critters weighing less than a fly.
DOW - don't let the neighborhood(s) con you into destroying the wildlife around town.
June 25, 2008
3 p.m.
Suggest removal
LingLingfor_prez writes:
Not to be confused with the "Coyotes" that ferry illegals across the border.
June 25, 2008
3:22 p.m.
Suggest removal
MarineGrunt writes:
Dirkle... Does this mean we now need Lawyer, Guns and Money?
June 25, 2008
3:27 p.m.
Suggest removal
Vector049 writes:
A beautiful park and open space borders my property on it's West side. We hear and see Coyotes all the time. They are magnificent animals and are a plus to the environment and my property values. We also have ducks, snakes, prairie dogs, hawks, high flying eagles, burrowing owls and an occasional fox and mouse.
They don't paint graffito on park property, leave unsightly mounds of dog poop, nor play their boom-boxes excessively loud at 2 AM; and they make far better neighbors than the majority of the self-centered creeps in the neighborhhod.
I also have a dog and cat. No problems there because we manage and control our pets properly.
If you're looking for out-of-control wildlife control, try over-priced and over-hyped LoDo.
June 25, 2008
3:30 p.m.
Suggest removal
wow writes:
Dirkle sings sooo pretty. :)
I miss living in Lakewood...loved all the wild life. We had raccoons the size of bulldogs, and saw a coyote now and then.
We have a few foxes near city park, and even they will go after a cat at night.
June 25, 2008
3:35 p.m.
Suggest removal
rickg19611 writes:
Sounds like a good reason for an animal rights protest. They can protest against themselves.
June 25, 2008
3:38 p.m.
Buckwheat writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
June 25, 2008
4:05 p.m.
Suggest removal
bookwerm writes:
Cats don't ever belong outside, and dogs should spend the night in. NUf said.
June 25, 2008
4:10 p.m.
Suggest removal
Squatch writes:
You're funny buckwheat. I just pictured him crapping next to your daisies.
June 25, 2008
4:12 p.m.
Suggest removal
hillbillygoth writes:
yeah, I saw a coyote in Cherry Creek around 2am one night
about a year ago..it was beyond awesome! Perhaps they will
even start being visible around LoDo after Hick's earlier
bar closing times scares away all the shotgun-wielding gang
members.
June 25, 2008
4:26 p.m.
Suggest removal
Buckwheat writes:
Squatch:
Yea, he's like "Here's another one for you old man" ha,ha. I got him this year, planted Marigolds (he don't like em')
June 25, 2008
5:06 p.m.
Suggest removal
Scott writes:
I suppose that if I call out, "Grab my 30/30 honey!" I'll get jump on. :-)
Scott
June 25, 2008
5:42 p.m.
Suggest removal
jjez writes:
So a coyote gets one guys pets and now they're a menace? Um, dork, keep your pets in and they won't get eaten! Next thing you know, they'll be calling for leg traps to be set out by the DOW so their NEW precious pooches won't get it too. Remember the protests a few months ago about the traps along the Highline in Cherry Hills!! Oooh, coyotes are gonna eat my designer dog, so I'd better get someone to do something about it!" Then the next thing you know the same people are whining because the traps are where they walk that overpriced mutt! Get a clue people! If you live where wildlife used to have freedom to roam, don't ignore your pets!
June 25, 2008
6:49 p.m.
Suggest removal
JCS1958 writes:
What kind of a moron puts hamburger out for coyotes?
Coyotes tend to runn alone when the are finding small prey and other food sources. When you see them running in pairs or larger groups it usually means that they are hunting larger prey. That often means stray or loose dogs. They have actually been spotted near the zoo in Denver.
And if you are prone to letting your cat run free, don't whine when it gets eaten.
June 25, 2008
7:44 p.m.
Suggest removal
curious99 writes:
I also live in Lakewood close to open space. I love the coyotes yipping/howling but there are way to many people feeding wildlife purposefully around here...........geese, ducks, and foxes for starters. Be a responsible pet owner and DONT FEED WILDLIFE!!!
June 25, 2008
9:58 p.m.
Suggest removal
happymike44 writes:
Yummy Yummy Yummy
I got fluffy in my tummy.
MMM MMM MMM good that why kitties tastes so good.
So let me see the owners leave out fluffy and skippy all night and are surprised when they become coyote chow.
Shocking at how dumb some people are.
Then again these are the same people who only walk the dog when they absolutely have to.
If they were really a caring owner they would kep them indoors.
I do not like cat owners who let out their cat at night.
Because then the little bundle of joy.
Poops in a little kids sandbox and you can guess what happens next.
June 26, 2008
8:36 p.m.
Suggest removal
BullDogBagCompany writes:
It's sad, in that these Coyotes will be villified, hunted down and killed, all for being what they are - wild animals. Why are they going out in search of food among humans? Is it because their natural areas of hunting have been decreased due to man's "need" to build and live anywhere and everywhere, without regard to the consequences? While I obviously feel bad for the pet owners who have lost their pets, I sincerely hope that this doesn't swing the other way and cause even more needless loss of life.
www.BullDogBagCompany.com