
The coyote (Canis latrans) is a close relative of the wolf (Canis lupus) and the dog (Canis lupus familiaris). Coyotes live in every US state except Hawaii. It is estimated that there are between three to five coyotes in the United States. Coyotes kill a lot of cats and dogs as well as livestock including 135,000 sheep per year .

Our neighborhood is generously populated with coyotes. Bronco used to bark at them, so they never got close to us. He tried to chase them, but they ran off. I assume they were afraid of him, but they certainly weren’t afraid of Daisy or Ryu.

One day I saw a coyote coming around the corner at the end of our street as I was walking Daisy and Ryu. He saw us and proceeded straight toward us without hesitation and with no sign of fear. He wasn’t running, but coyotes have long legs, and he was sort of trotting along and moving pretty fast. I wasn’t worried for myself—an adult human can easily handle a lone coyote. I was worried for Daisy and Ryu. I didn’t want them to be the coyote’s dinner.

As the coyote came closer, I stopped and stared at him. When he was around fifteen feet away, he stopped and stared back at me. Ryu and Daisy were staring at the coyote, too. I could see that they were frightened, but they didn’t bark. Meanwhile, I was calculating how best I could fight the animal. It wasn’t practical to lift both dogs in my arms and try to fight at the same time. So I had to let the dogs stay on the ground. Before I could strategize further, though, the coyote continued on his way and disappeared behind some houses farther down the road. Coyotes are common almost everywhere in the United States, so if you need another reason avoid letting your cats and small dogs run loose, remind yourself of this story.

The video below is in regard to an incident that happened here in Dallas two years ago when a two-year-old boy was injured by a coyote.
I should say that I certainly respect the coyotes right to life and I think that they deserve to be treated humanely and with respect. However, they are unafraid of people, they roam our neighborhoods and there are so many of them. You need to be ready to protect your small dogs and cats, and even large dogs. A pack of coyotes can do a lot of damage to a large dog. Don’t let your small dogs and cats run lose and keep your dogs on a leash. You may also want to consider bringing maze with you on your walks.






















































































