Owner Of Dog Who Was Attacked Wants Stricter City Coyote Management Plan
DENVER (CBS4) - A family from Denver is threatening to take legal action after their dog was attacked by a coyote.
Gordon Reed says coyotes are a common sight in his southwest Denver neighborhood. He and his family live near Wellshire Golf Course on the 3300 block of South Colorado Boulevard.
"They are running across the street. The coyotes are in between the houses," Reed said. "They're vicious."
Reed says little is being done to keep them away, despite his calls to the city of Denver.
"We've had no response. Nobody will do anything," he said.
Reed's 8-year-old dog Coco was attacked in the family's back yard early Monday morning.
"When she came back in, I was sitting down by the couch, and she came over and was trembling against my leg. And I looked down at her and she was all cut up," he said.
"You can tell that it was a very big animal," he said.
Reed said he thinks Coco fought back and possibly injured the coyote.
But Reed says they now have a $1,600 vet bill, and they are considering going after the city to pay for it.
Reed says if it was up to his family, the city would adopt a policy of killing coyotes if they get to close.
Colorado's Division of Parks and Wildlife, as well as Denver's Parks and Recreation department, provide several tips for keeping residents and their pets safe from coyotes. It's advice that's shared often as the wild animal's population is thriving in urban areas.
LINK: Living With Coyotes
Yet Reed says it's not enough.
"City Council should take this on and talk to wildlife (managers) and come up with an answer," he said.
Denver has developed coyote management plans in years past, which included various hazing strategies.
Wildlife officials say public safety is certainly a top priority, but they also want to ensure Colorado's wild animals are protected too.
