Coyote Kills Lakewood Resident's Dog

LAKEWOOD, OH — Another animal has been attacked and killed by coyotes in Lakewood, the city confirmed Monday. This time the attack occurred on Forest Hill Dr. where a Highland Terrier was found dead. There have been additional sightings of coyotes throughout the city.

Police say the attack on the Highland Terrier occurred between 11 p.m. Oct. 20 and 7 a.m. Oct. 21. Police were called to the scene at about 8:30 a.m. Oct. 21.

Other sightings of coyotes place the animals closer to the shoreline, the city said. (To stay up to date on these stories, subscribe to the Patch Lakewood newsletter. As news breaks and the story develops, you will be the first to receive updates from Patch.)

A Lakewood resident's dog was attacked by a coyote in late February 2017, prompting panic over animal safety in the neighborhood. Many residents on social media have expressed surprise at the presence of coyotes in a heavily developed suburb like Lakewood.

The attack in February took place in the vicinity of Lakewood Park, in a fenced-in backyard. During that incident, a West Highland white Terrier was chased and bitten by coyotes before its owner ran out and scared the coyotes away.

The city said in March that there are at least three pairs of alpha coyotes in Lakewood. One pair lives in the vicinity of Madison Park, another in the southwest corner of the city and a third alpha pair in the Lakewood Park area, the city said at the time.

"Three other small-dog attacks have occurred in [the Lakewood Park] area. These attacks started in late January. The dogs were all small breed dogs; each survived with bite injuries," Kara A. Vlach-Lasher of Lakewood's Animal Safety & Welfare Advisory Boardr said in March. "These recent encounters are the exception, not the rule from Lakewood’s experience."

Fox 8 News reported the city captured one of the harassing coyotes on March 24. Traps were set for the animal and a local cage maker and nuisance animal trapper caught a male coyote. He said that capturing the male usually meant the female coyote and any cub coyotes would leave the area. Additionally, the animal tested negative for rabies.

In late March, Patch ran a series of tips on how residents can protect their pets. Those tips are below.

Protection and Prevention

Coyotes very rarely attack humans, Vlach-Lasher said. In fact, the city's Animal Shelter Supervisor says that there has never been an attack on a human by a coyote in the Lakewood area.

However, attacks on small breed dogs are common. Coyote activity is also greatly increased from January through March because it is mating season for the animals. Dog owners should pay careful attention to their animals during the first quarter of the year.

To prevent attracting coyotes to your residence, here are some simple tips from the city you can follow.

• Don't feed your pets outside. The smell of the food may attract coyotes. Set up your animal's feeding area inside your house, if possible.
• If you're composting (and hopefully you are), don't compost meat, dairy, or fish scraps. Whatever you are composting, do so in an enclosed bin. The city says you should periodically clean whatever bin you're using to compost. Also, keep your garbage can lids closed.
• Keep your cats indoors and keep your dogs on leashes when outdoors. Even if you have a fenced in yard, you'll want to keep an eye on your dog, particularly from dusk to dawn. To keep coyotes out, your fence would have to be at least eight feet tall and made of a material that coyotes cannot climb.
• Carry a whistle when walking your dog. If your pet is attacked by a coyote, blow the whistle for help. You can also throw a tennis ball at the animal or squirt a water gun full of vinegar at a coyote to repel it.
• If the coyote attacks while you're at home, use your garden hose to spray the animal or bang pots or pans to create a loud noise.

To get other insight and tips for fending off coyote attacks, click here.

If you or your pet has an encounter with a coyote, please report it to Lakewood Animal Control at 216-529-5020. An encounter would be anything more than a sighting or visual observation.

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