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When Coyotes and People Share A Neighborhood

News Channel 8 photo by MICHAEL EGGER

Barry still has stitches on his neck from where a vet repaired the bite wounds.

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JEFF PATTERSON

jpatterson@wfla.com

Published: March 18, 2009

Joanne Dickson feels fortunate that her beloved dog Barry is alive.

Dickson thinks Barry was attacked by a coyote. She had just gotten home after 7:30 a.m. after taking her son to school and noticed Barry was not running around her yard as usual. After she called his name, the dog came out of the garage, limping badly.

"He was all bloody, his ear torn, bite marks all over him, paw prints all over his back,'' Dickson said.

Dickson says a neighbor saw a coyote run out of her yard and speculates she interrupted the attack when she drove into her driveway.

Dickson lives in the Oldsmar neighborhood of East Lake Woodlands. The neighborhood has a beautiful golf course and acres of natural preserve. It's an area where wild turkey, deer and other wildlife roam.

Increasingly, Dickson and other residents of the neighborhood have been seeing coyotes.

" My girlfriend quit jogging at night because she saw them running past her,'' Dickson said. "One of the kids was out playing down the street and one darted out from the bushes."

Other East Lake Woodlands residents are concerned as well. Jessica Hollick, who was walking her three small dogs today, said she's heard neighbors complain recently about missing cats.

"It's an absolutely terrifying thing because there's also little kids who live around here,'' Hollick said.

Pinellas County officials have put out a pamphlet warning about the danger of coyotes. The pamphlet advises residents that coyotes are here to stay. The East Lake Neighborhood Association is also warning residents about the danger of the predators.

"I would like for something to be done, but what can they do?'' Dickson said. "I'm an animal lover, but it's frightening when they are coming so close to humans."

Pinellas County officials say residents should keep dogs and cats indoors when not on a leash. The county also says keep garbage in secure containers, and do not leave pet food or birdseed outside overnight.

Reporter Jeff Patterson can be reached at (813) 221-5703.

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