Predators have no problem taking pets
May 20th, 2008 Posted in Reptile PetsRecently there have been three reports coming out of south Lee County about coyotes attacking dogs.
The story that Julie Fortney tells is horrifying.
Her fiance, Lance Franklin, had just taken the couple’s two-year-old dog Ollie out for his last walk of the night around 10:30 p.m. a week ago Saturday.
Ollie - a 9-pound Maltese and poodle mix - stopped for one last tinkle about 10 feet away from Franklin, who was standing in the driveway holding him on a retractable leash. When suddenly, out of nowhere, a coyote grabbed Ollie by the neck, broke the leash and took off.
Franklin gave chase but the coyote was too fast for him. Franklin then ran back to the house with the broken leash still in his hand to tell Fortney about the tragic event that had transpired just moments before.
“I started shaking and ran outside. We drove around the neighborhood and called for him (Ollie),” Fortney said. “We looked everywhere and searched forever but we didn’t hear or see anything.”
At daybreak the couple resumed the search for Ollie, who Fortney described as “our baby” and “part of the family.”
It was the call to her dad, a hunter, that made her realize their efforts were futile. “He said, ‘Jule, he’s gone. If it was a coyote, he’s gone.’”
When the couple called the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to report the coyote snatching they received a cold response, Fortney said.
“They told us you have to learn to live with them, like squirrels,” she said. “And that we’re lucky to have wildlife.”
Someone later called her to apologize for the insensitivity, she said.
But the message has stayed the same.
“In Florida we are blessed with a plethora of wildlife,” said Gary Morse, spokesperson for the Florida Wildlife Commission. And that wildlife includes predators such as hawks, coyotes, alligators and bobcats.
And although instances of attacks on dogs or humans are rare, he said, “being out late at night or early in the morning when predators are active poses some risk.”
We’re moving into wildlife habitat, Morse said. And people must learn to deal with wildlife.
Still, he said, there are things people can do to scare off marauding predators:
Don’t leave garbage or cat food outside since this attracts predators to the neighborhood.
Don’t walk near the edges of ponds or woods during early morning or late night hours.
Carry a flashlight and noisemaker when walking at night. This can be used to scare off animals looking for easy prey.
Although Fortney said she understands that we have pushed animals into smaller territory and built homes next to and on top of their habitat, she doesn’t agree with the Wildlife Commission’s take on this.
“When alligators get too big we remove them. Bears get removed, we don’t leave them in the neighborhood. There are things we can do,” she said.
“Now that we’re seeing more episodes (with coyotes), we need to do something,” she added. “We were devastated. And I don’t want anyone else to feel like that.”
Tags: animals, ash, bobcats, cats, chase, coyotes, dogs, florida fish and wildlife, florida fish and wildlife conservation, florida fish and wildlife conservation commission, florida wildlife, fortney, gary morse, insensitivity, lance franklin, lear, lori, maltese and poodle mix, mara, old dog, ollie, Pet, pets, plethora, retractable leash, spokesperson, tinkle, tragic event, wildlife commissionRelated posts
Tags: animals, ash, bobcats, cats, chase, coyotes, dogs, florida fish and wildlife, florida fish and wildlife conservation, florida fish and wildlife conservation commission, florida wildlife, fortney, gary morse, insensitivity, lance franklin, lear, lori, maltese and poodle mix, mara, old dog, ollie, Pet, pets, plethora, retractable leash, spokesperson, tinkle, tragic event, wildlife commission
