Coyote Attack Leaves One Canton Dog Dead, Another Hurt

CANTON, MI — A pair of coyote attacks recently killed one Canton dog and left another badly injured. The attacks occurred off of Ford Road between Canton Center and Beck roads. Early spring coyote attacks are not uncommon, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

“Cooper,” a Yorkie, was killed on April 11 behind the home of owner Kelly Campbell. WXYZ Channel 7 reported that a second dog was attacked in the Cobblestone Ridge subdivision. “Murphy,” an eight-year-old Shih-tzu, was bitten and bloodied on the same night. He underwent emergency surgery and survived the coyote attack, the television station reported.

Owner Beth Rosinski told Channel 7 she wants to make sure other pet owners in the area are aware of the danger, especially for their small dogs. She says from now on her family will make sure their dogs, including Murphy, are on a leash when they're taken outside for the final time each evening, the television station reported.

It’s not the first time dogs have been attacked in Canton by coyotes. A family's Bichon Frise was killed by a coyote in their backyard in the Arlington Parks subdivision last year. Animal attacks seem to peak in March and April.

According to the MDNR, this is the time of year when people are likely to see and hear them. "That’s why we wanted to give people a reminder," Hannah Schauer, a wildlife technician with the DNR told the Detroit Free Press. "It is breeding season, so they are much more visible right now, more vocal, moving around. Some people might not have realized they are living in the area.”

The state doesn't track coyote numbers but they are everywhere in Michigan, Schauer told the newspaper. Coyote’s breeding season typically lasts through the end of the March. Females give birth to about five to seven pups, usually from March through the beginning of June, the Free Press reported.

"We’re going to have more overlap between coyote habitat and human habitat, so to speak, because they are so adaptable," Schauer told the newspaper. "They can easily survive in suburban and urban environments. If there is good habitat, they can quickly populate an area.”

To minimize risks, the DNR recommends people should remove food sources such as trash bins, bird feeders and pet food and by fencing off gardens and fruit trees. Schauer told the Free Press people who see coyotes around their property should drive them off by yelling, clapping or by making lots of noise such as banging on pots and pans.

People also need to be aware of their pets, she said. Coyotes might avoid a larger dog — coyotes range from 15 to 45 pounds — but smaller dogs and cats are vulnerable, Schauer told the newspaper.

In order to reduce the state’s coyote population, Michigan’s Natural Resource Commission last year approved year-around hunting, including night time hunting, the Free Press reported. Hunting season for coyotes previously was closed from mid-April through mid-July.

Photo by Eric Kilby via Flickr Commons