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Predators kill 6 pets in Mesa in two weeks
Art Thomason
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 23, 2007 04:04 PM
Trying to suppress tears, Debbie Thompson recalled how precious Sarina, Casey and Hannah were to her family.
"Everybody loved our dogs," she said. "They were very sweet puppies. We never left them alone."
Through a doggie door and into the fenced backyard of Thompson's north central Mesa home in Hermosa Groves was as far as Sarina, a toy poodle, her son, Casey and Hannah, a Shih Tzu, would wander.
But that was far enough for their attacker, believed to be a coyote, which killed the dogs last week.
"My husband found them dead Friday morning," Thompson said. He was getting ready to go to work. They were all about 10 pounds each. I called the Arizona Game and Fish Department and one of their representatives said there is absolutely nothing they can do. I was livid. I asked, 'So what are you going to do, wait until kill a small child?'"
The dogs were among six household pets fatally attacked in the north central Mesa neighborhood by one or more coyotes during the last two weeks, said Randy Babb, a biologist with the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
"We feel pretty strongly that it's a coyote," he said. "The whole way its unfolding sounds very much like coyotes. They're very intelligent and very adaptable. They are animals that know exactly what they need to find pets. That means pets unattended. They do very well in these urban areas."
Babb said four dogs and two cats were killed in the neighborhood since July 8 but the game and fish department won't trap or destroy the coyotes believed to be responsible for the deaths unless they attack or stalk humans.
"It's one of those difficult situations," he said. "We're trying to advise residents in the neighborhood about the problems. We're in the process of putting out door hangars and will have an officer attend their HOA meeting to help guide them," he said.
But there never will be a solution.
Art Thomason
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 23, 2007 04:04 PM
Trying to suppress tears, Debbie Thompson recalled how precious Sarina, Casey and Hannah were to her family.
"Everybody loved our dogs," she said. "They were very sweet puppies. We never left them alone."
Through a doggie door and into the fenced backyard of Thompson's north central Mesa home in Hermosa Groves was as far as Sarina, a toy poodle, her son, Casey and Hannah, a Shih Tzu, would wander.
But that was far enough for their attacker, believed to be a coyote, which killed the dogs last week.
"My husband found them dead Friday morning," Thompson said. He was getting ready to go to work. They were all about 10 pounds each. I called the Arizona Game and Fish Department and one of their representatives said there is absolutely nothing they can do. I was livid. I asked, 'So what are you going to do, wait until kill a small child?'"
The dogs were among six household pets fatally attacked in the north central Mesa neighborhood by one or more coyotes during the last two weeks, said Randy Babb, a biologist with the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
"We feel pretty strongly that it's a coyote," he said. "The whole way its unfolding sounds very much like coyotes. They're very intelligent and very adaptable. They are animals that know exactly what they need to find pets. That means pets unattended. They do very well in these urban areas."
Babb said four dogs and two cats were killed in the neighborhood since July 8 but the game and fish department won't trap or destroy the coyotes believed to be responsible for the deaths unless they attack or stalk humans.
"It's one of those difficult situations," he said. "We're trying to advise residents in the neighborhood about the problems. We're in the process of putting out door hangars and will have an officer attend their HOA meeting to help guide them," he said.
But there never will be a solution.
