Coyote Warning (small dogs/cats) (home, neighborhood, subdivision)

[S. Chris Webb]

I know this has been discussed before, but bears repeating:

There is a new smartphone app that the neighbors in and around my subdivision (Sonoran Mountain Ranch to Stetson Hills) have been using to keep in touch with each other on important issues. In the last week or so, there have been SEVERAL people in our small neighborhood representation post comments lamenting the recent loss of their small dogs to coyotes jumping their back yard walls. (Yorkies, chihuahuas, etc.) They have gained access over six foot walls and side gates - yards that don't back green belts and the dog owners didn't think they'd have a problem.

There have also been several back yard bobcat & owl/raptor sightings.

We always need to be watchful of our pets in a desert environment, but especially when it is dry like this, animals of prey will be more brazen when it comes to obtaining their diet, as there is more competition for food and water.

There are several things we can do to keep coyote/other wildlife nuisance down (from AZ Game and Fish Dept.):

• Remove anything outside your home that may be attracting coyotes. This includes garbage, pet food, water sources, and bird feeders that can attract rodents and birds for coyotes to eat.
• Never feed coyotes.
• Encourage your neighbors not to feed coyotes or leave anything out that might attract the animals.
• Feed your pets inside, and never leave them unattended, especially at dusk and dawn when coyotes are most active. If it's necessary to leave a small pet outside unattended, keep it in a sturdy enclosure with a roof.
• Keep poultry, rabbits, and rodents in secure enclosures.
• Trim and remove any ground-level shrubs and branches that provide hiding places or den sites for coyotes or their prey.
• Secure garbage containers and eliminate odors by cleaning trashcans with a 10 percent chlorine bleach solution. Put out trash containers on the morning of pickup, not the night before.
• Look for products that can be used as helpful animal deterrents.

Please, watch your small pets and children, even if they are "safe" in your back yard.