Coyote attacks in Sun City West, Arizona have spiked, sending at least six dogs to the vet in the last 10 days.
Sun City West Animal Hospital says they’ve seen everything from puncture wounds to life-threatening injuries.
Arizona Game and Fish says spring is coyote season, when the animals look for food in the cool morning hours for themselves and their new pups but they admit, the numbers are unusually high.
Ardy Geyer’s Poodle mix, Lacy, was attacked by two coyotes early Thursday morning after she let the dog out.
Geyer says she left Lacy for just a minute before she heard two coyotes who had jumped over her four-foot fence to attack the dog.
“I just heard her cry and yelp and thought ‘Oh my God.’ It was quiet, you wouldn’t know were there. It was almost eerie.” Lacy suffered a large puncture wound, and hernia but she will survive.
Beth Barnard’s dog was also attacked in the early morning hours. Louis, also a Poodle mix, was bitten by a single coyote Tuesday morning at her home in Sun City.
“I walked back into the house and heard him fighting like I’ve never heard him fighting before.” Barnard says her dog fought the coyote back, which she says was about three feet tall and full grown. Louis suffered two puncture wounds.
Arizona Game and Fish says pet owners should try and keep their dogs on a leash when they’re outside. If you see a coyote, make yourself as big as you can, make a lot of noise and scare it away so the animal knows it’s not welcome.
The department adds that homeowners should never feed the coyotes or leave trash out.
If your pet is ever bitten by a coyote, veterinarian Joshua Winston advises you bring it to your vet to get it checked out. Even if the bite doesn’t look bad there could be an underlying infection.
Coyotes are a nusiance and dangerous but yet everyone wants to kill the wolves for no reason….the coyotes dont seem to go after the big dogs just the little ones