LWer who lost her dog to a coyote urges residents to be alert

COYOTE ALERT

Coyotes in Leisure World aren’t going away, but you can help keep them away from homes and pets. LW residents on neighborhood social sites like NextDoor and Facebook are vigilant about warning neighbors of coyote sightings. Postings track coyote movement in LW, warning neighbors to keep pets inside and be alert.

And the warnings should not go unheeded. Just last week, Harriet Anderson of Mutual 1 lost her dog to a coyote. At about 3 a.m. on Oct. 11, she took her little Yorkie, Bodhi, outside the door to relieve himself. She was standing next to Bodhi when a coyote came around the corner, snatched the dog and ran.

“Security was so nice,” said Anderson. “They walked all around, but he was long gone. I really miss him.

“I want to emphasize that the coyote was not afraid of me. They are not afraid of humans at all. He was like a flash. He got my little dog in an instant and took off with him. I was there, and I couldn’t do anything about it.”

Anderson called the LW Weekly requesting another reminder to residents about the danger of coyotes to pets. She doesn’t want anyone else to endure watching a beloved pet hauled off by a predator.

Animal experts agree that coyotes are here to stay, and it is essential to achieve a peaceful coexistence. The highly adaptable animals are encroaching into urban areas where it’s easier to find food and water.

There are strategies for reducing conflict. Keep pets inside, stay alert when walking dogs and make sure they are on leashes no longer than 6 feet, and pick up food and water that might attract wild animals.

Once coyotes identify a food source, they’ll keep coming around. Food sources include pet food, unsecured trash, fallen fruit and compost. Fences aren’t necessarily a deterrent, as a coyote can clear a 6-foot-high wall.

Learn how to haze coyotes. Hazing is a method that makes use of deterrents to move an animal out of an area or discourage an undesirable behavior or activity.

Hazing can help maintain a coyote’s fear of humans and keep them from lurking around buildings and carports. If a coyote approaches:

•Yell and wave your arms while approaching the coyote

• Use noisemakers like whistles, air horns, bells, “shaker” cans full of marbles or pennies, pots, lids or pie pans banged together

• Throw sticks, small rocks, cans, tennis balls or rubber balls To report coyote sightings, call Long Beach Animal Care Services at (562) 570-7387. (Seal Beach contracts with City of Long Beach for animal control services.) Residents can also report wildlife activity online.

For complaints or questions regarding coyotes, call Long Beach Animal Care Services at (562) 570-7387 or the Seal Beach Police Department’s nonemergency line at (562) 799-4100.