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Wild
animals feast on North Valley pets
by Ambria Hammel
NEW RIVER - Two recent incidents of pet owners losing their
dogs to wild animals brings a reminder from Arizona Department
of Game and Fish to safeguard pets and children by creating
environments that make wildlife feel unwelcome.
On Feb. 22, Meara Perrin of New River likely lost her three
year old English bulldog to coyotes. And a pack entered her
property March 15 while she was in the yard.
Both incidents occurred on her 7.5 acre property that backs
up to two washes. Perrin moved to Arizona within the last
year and said she has seen coyotes in the washes, but was
surprised they came so close. |
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"The
coyotes came right up to the fence," Perrin said of the second
incident. During that encounter, three coyotes approach ed an enclosed
area of her yard. She was watering the lawn in a ten by ten foot
dog kennel bounded on three sides by chainlink fence and her home
on the fourth side when the coyotes appeared. She said despite banging
on the fence and yelling, the animals did not seem phased.
Dean Treadwell with the research branch of Arizona Game and Fish
points out that coyotes are smart and adaptable animals, indicating
that human interaction is possible. He added that coyote encounters
will periodically happen in that area. "You're in their habitat,"
Treadwell said. "Some people like to move out there for that
reason."
The coyotes remained on Perrin's property for approximately an hour,
but showed no signs of viciousness. She was able to safely go inside
through a door leading to the house.
"I was kind of freaked out about animals on the property, anyway,"
said Perrin, who still recalls when coyotes likely killed one of
her three dogs.
On Feb. 22, she let her English bulldog and her bulldog mix out
to run around outside the kennel, part of her daily routine. Perrin
tried calling the dogs back when they left her sight, but the English
bulldog didn't return.
Because she couldn't leave her five month old twins, Perrin had
to wait half an hour until her husband got home before she could
look for her missing dog. She then discovered some of the dog's
remains on her neighbor's property. Perrin says two days later a
neighbor in Desert Hills lost his dog in a similar manner. "You
get that image in your mind and you can't get it out," she
said.
Perrin shared the details of both incidents with Kyle Cooper, wildlife
manager for Arizona Game and Fish. Without having seen the carcass,
he couldn't conclude it was a coyote attack. Perrin never heard
barking or growls typical of a dog fight and there wasn't much blood
at the scene.
Regardless of what killed the bulldog, Cooper advises not feeding
wild animals because they are quick learners. If an encounter does
occur, he said to somehow make them feel unwelcome. For instance,
Cooper said Perrin could have sprayed the coyotes with a hose.
The Game and Fish Department has a free video available for Valley
residents who want to learn how to deal with a variety of species
of wildlife. To order the video or to report aggressive behavior
of any wild animal in residential areas, call (480) 981 9400.
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