Are Malibu Park and other communities experiencing a similar situation as reported in a recent Laguna Woods televised alert? The signs go up for missing pets. Neighborhood conversations are shared about pets being killed by the elusive coyote. Your fenced-in yard is not protecting you anymore. Coyotes can run 40 miles per hour and jump eight foot fences.
If you have a smaller size dog or cat, it feels like a war out there.
We are not certain about what we can do about this. In the meantime, your small dogs should not go out for potty breaks off leash even in their own fenced-in yard. Your cats should not be left out before 10 a.m. and even then there is no guarantee. Needless to say they need to be brought in way before darkness. About 6 or 7 p.m. in the summer is too late for your pets to be outdoors.
It has been said the coyotes balance nature by keeping the rodent population in control. But what keeps the coyote population in control? If they breed in January, February or March, each female can produce an average of five to six pups, with a lifespan of 10 to 15 years. And they’re all out and about hunting within 60 days from birth. It sounds similar to feral cats breeding, with no birth control. How many coyotes do we have in a community? Is spaying/neutering an option? How about the pups? Can they all be trapped and fixed?
It has also been said we are living in their terrain and we are responsible for protecting our pets. Spreading this message in hopes it will prevent this terrible loss does not always penetrate, as many people don’t feel it will happen to them. But when it does, there is no turning back, just the hurt and helpless feeling.
Linda Gould