Coyotes Next Door by Pam Todd

We have two acres bordered on the west by our neighbor’s 20 acres, most of which is wooded areas, ravines, creeks, with lots of underbrush.  My husband mows probably three acres around the log home that sits there.  He often takes Eddie, our Boston Terrier, for walks on that property, with the neighbor’s permission, of course.

A few weeks ago, Eddie had his first encounter with a coyote.  We hear them often, and see them, sometimes even crossing our back yard.

Eddie isn’t very good at staying right with his buddy, and suddenly my husband heard yipping and other noises as if a fight was about to occur. A gunshot into the ground brought Eddie running as fast as he could, and when the coyote saw my husband and heard the report of the gun, it also ran away.  When we got Eddie into the house, we could see one bite, and called the vet right away.  The vet had not had any other coyote bites reported, and after examining Eddie, found three places where the coyote had bitten him.

She had to shave the areas around the three wounds so that she could clean them.  His temperature, 102.3 degrees, was normal.  And I said, “No wonder he is so warm when he lays next to you!”  They just smiled!

They gave Eddie antibiotics to prevent infection, and an anti-inflammatory pain reliever to prevent swelling and to make it hurt less while healing.

Eddie thinks he can run right up to other animals, turn his rear end into their face, and say hello.   But, I expect that Eddie will stay closer to Bob next time they walk in the woods and across the mowed area next door after this nail biting (or should we say butt biting) experience.  He is well on the way in the healing process, and has only the scars to show for this scary experience.

That isn’t the only encounter we have had with a coyote.  One day about two years ago, my husband motioned through the patio doors for me to come outside.  He walked to the storage shed, and there was an animal lying curled up in the front corner.  We stood and looked at it, wondering if it was a stray dog or what.  Then the animal saw us, stood up, and walked right past us, not four feet away from where we were standing.  It was a coyote!  It walked about twenty feet farther, turned and looked at us, and then continued on its way.

Housing developments have forced animals into smaller and smaller areas, and it is no longer unusual to see coyotes where we live.  In a suburb of Indianapolis recently, a news report told how a small dog was taken by coyotes and killed.  The town has an ordinance that no guns may be fired within the town limits.  I feel so bad for those folks who lost their small furry family member to animals that shouldn’t be forced to live so close to people.

Please feel free to comment and/or share any experiences you may have had with coyotes.

LiveJournal Tags: coyotes,dog,urban sprawl,wild animals,animal habitats,rabies,animal bites,woods,pets,pet exercise,veterinarians,animal lovers,crafting4animalsguild,bagsandmorebypam,artfire

Pam Todd is an animal lover and enjoys everything related to nature.  Her ArtFire Studio, www.bagsandmorebypam.artfire.com features hand-crocheted items for people, pets, and homes.  She supports The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee, www.elephants.com, with an annual contribution, as well as provides gift certificates for auctions by groups raising funds to care for animals.