West Austin Neighborhood Worried After a Pet Was Eaten by a Coyote

By THC Staff | June 9, 2017

 

Near the intersection of Enfield Rd. and MoPac in West Austin, Fox 7 reports that Mike London’s 3-year-old miniature poodle named Henry was tragically killed and eaten by a coyote along the Johnson Creek Greenbelt. “That coyote is still hungry and will be coming for your dog, so the thing to do is keep the coyote scared away or keep the dog from being a meal,” London told the news.

This isn’t the first time Austinites have had to worry about coyotes grabbing their pets. Last year, one woman told KXAN that her two Chihuahuas and her cat were taken by coyotes right out of her backyard during the day.

Though some people might say relocating the coyotes is the answer, Tawny Hammond, chief officer with Austin Animal Services, disagrees. “Relocation of coyotes is not successful, it’s not humane, because they don’t do well, they die. It’s not proven an effective method of dealing with the situation,” she explains. Instead, people should make loud noises to scare the coyotes away when their pets are outside, install motion-activated sprinklers or lights, and refrain from keeping food outside. Residents can call Animal Services at 311 to learn more about how to protect their yard and pets.