Coyotes have killed two dogs in Wauwatosa, and possibly a third in Elm Grove.
Buchanan, who lives on 119th Street in Wauwatosa near the area where two dogs were attacked by coyotes — one on Sept. 10 and a second Sept. 12 — said neighbors are refusing to walk the streets alone and resort to walking in large groups and carry sticks to fend off the wild animals.
"People are even afraid to let their kids play outside," said Buchanan, a dog owner.
"I'm such a wildlife person, but I want them gone," she said of the coyotes.
But animal protection organizations said hazing — rather than killing the animals — should be the measures of choice when it comes to preventing attacks on more pets.
Details of the attacks
The two attacks in Wauwatosa happened within three days of each other.
An attack around 6:40 a.m. Sept. 10 left a dachshund dead. The dog was just removed from its leash and was trotting near the 12200 block of Underwood Parkway with its owner when a coyote emerged from the woods and bit it.
Lt. Brian Zalewski of the Wauwatosa Police Department said the dog owner screamed and waved her arms in an attempt to free her pet, which the coyote eventually dropped.
The woman picked up the dog and ran along the parkway to a nearby house where she sought help.
But the coyote continued to follow her, police said.
"The coyote did not have a concern for the human interaction," Zalewski said. "Typically, coyotes are able to be scared away by humans."
Police said the pet was later euthanized at a local animal hospital.
The second attack in Wauwatosa came around 6:30 a.m. Sept. 12 near West Potter Road and North 119th Street. Sandra Hollander let her dog go outside the house into her yard shortly after dawn. She went back into her home and about three minutes later, she heard barking and a squeal from her miniature schnauzer rescue dog named Sparky.
"I looked out the window and all I see is the big tail of the coyote," she said. "He was on top of the dog."
Hollander said the coyote "seemed very bold" and "stared at her defiantly."
The dog later died at an animal hospital.
"He was very healthy, very sweet dog," she said of Sparky. "Very loving, very affectionate. Very well behaved."
It was the second time Hollander has seen a coyote near her home in the 13 years she's lived there. About 10 years ago she spotted a mangy coyote chasing a herd of deer.
Sightings commonplace
Wauwatosa may not be the only community experiencing these attacks.
A dachshund was found dead around 4:30 p.m. Sept. 7 near 124th Street and Elmhurst Parkway in Elm Grove, although officials from the Elm Grove Police Department said it's not confirmed that the dog was killed by a coyote.
Coyote sightings are becoming a nearly daily occurrence for some Wauwatosa residents, Buchanan said.
Buchanan recalled a recent encounter with three coyotes one evening while walking her own pets. At first, the Wauwatosa resident thought the animals down the street were dogs, but once she got within 30 feet, she realized they were in fact coyotes and quickly returned home.
Referring to the animals as "urban coyotes," Buchanan said they're not scared off by humans and are periodically found relaxing on a neighbor's porch.
"They just stare at you," she said.
Reader Comments
to our Newsletter