Recently, we've had folks reach out to us on our Facebook page about their pets being attacked and killed by coyotes.
The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) says this drought we're currently in could be driving coyotes into our area.
We spoke with two families in the Spanish Springs area whose dogs were attacked late last week.
"I turned around and my dog Henry was right on the grass, right on the edge, right where that little army man is, the red one. He was completely eaten."
Steven Cook was shocked when he stepped foot into his backyard. Not just one, but all three of his dogs had been attacked and killed.
"I almost fainted at that point, and I almost fell down," he says.
Cook first thought it was another dog who killed his family pets, but then he found a coyote track on the pavement.
"I couldn't find anything at first, and then I saw the track. I took a picture of it."
Cook described the attack to NDOW, which confirmed his suspicions that it was coyotes who killed his dogs.
"If you have a small dog, or if you're out by yourself, you're out after dark, they can be very dangerous," says Edwin Lyngar with NDOW.
That same day, coyotes killed another dog just up the street from Cook. This time, there were no remains to be found.
"We went and looked around the backyard, and the fence which is six foot all around, and we found some fur," says Tamara Dullum, whose dog was killed. "That was the only thing that we knew that the coyotes had gotten him."
It's more common for coyotes to hunt in open areas on the outskirts of town, but they also wander into neighborhoods looking for water, especially during this drought we're in. There are some easy ways to protect your animals though.
"One of which is to, of course, keep them on a leash whenever you walk them," says Lyngar. "We also recommend that people don't leave them unattended, don't let them run loose."
Cook wishes he could have been there to save his dogs. He hopes other pet owners see his story and think twice before leaving their pets unattended.
"I just don't want it to happen to anyone else," says Cook. "This neighborhood is filled with little dogs like mine."
Written by Adam Rasmussen
