Good Morning Gloucester

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Councilman Scott Memhard shares photo of the porch where the poddle was killed

AS reported in thelocalnews.ws

Sumac Lane, Rocky Neck

GLOUCESTER — The mayor and police chief are advising residents to keep a careful watch on all pets after a resident’s dog was killed by a coyote last night.

Two women who tried to save the dog were forced to hide in a car after the coyote turned on them.

Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken and Interim Chief John McCarthy issued the advice after the dog was attacked last night (January 15).

At around 9:30 p.m., “Gloucester Animal Control responded to Sumac Lane for reports of a resident whose dog had been attacked and killed by a coyote,” a police statement said.

“The dog was on a fixed leash in the yard while its owner was inside the home. Animal control officers searched the surrounding area but did not find the coyote,” it added.

Rocky Neck resident Mark Olsen told WBZ TV the dog, a poodle, belonged to his 75-year-old mother.

The dog was out for about five minutes when the coyote attacked, he told reporters.

Olsen said his mother and sister “tried to save the dog, but they had to hide in their car when the coyote came after them,” WBZ said.

As a result, animal control officers and Gloucester Environmental Police are monitoring the entire Rocky Neck area today.

City officials said the coyote population has been increasing on Cape Ann recently. Olsen agreed, saying he had seen three or four recently. He also said they are becoming “more brazen.”

The Boston Globe reported last year that 250 residents attended a meeting last year to voice concern about the increasing coyote population.

In October 2015, a woman drinking coffee on her front porch was attacked by a coyote, according to Good Morning Gloucester.

To prevent coyote attacks, Gloucester Police advise residents to follow safety tips from the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife:

1. Do not approach, feed, pet, or try to interact with wildlife, including coyotes, foxes, or other wild animals.
2. It is always a good idea to leash pets at all times if outdoors. Small cats and dogs are seen as prey and larger dogs competition.
3. Don’t hesitate to scare or threaten coyotes with loud noises, bright lights, or water sprayed from a hose.
4. Cut back bushy edges, as these areas provide cover for coyotes and their prey.
5. Secure your garbage. Coyotes raid open trash materials and compost piles. Secure your garbage in tough plastic containers with tight-fitting lids and keep them in secure buildings when possible.
6. Take out trash when the morning pick-up is scheduled, not the previous night.
7. Keep compost in secure, vented containers, and keep barbecue grills clean to reduce attractive odors.
8. Keep bird feeder areas clean. Use feeders designed to keep seed off the ground, as the seed attracts many small mammals coyotes prey upon.
9. Remove feeders if coyotes are regularly seen around your yard.

More information regarding the city’s increasing coyote population will be released on the City of Gloucester website this week.

Anyone who sees a coyote in Gloucester should immediately contact Gloucester Animal Control at 978-281-9746.