Residents of a Southern California neighborhood are expressing concern about aggressive coyotes after an 82-year-old woman was injured and her dog was killed by a pack.
The incident happened in late September in the St. Francis Court community of San Diego’s Solana Beach.
Roberta Hennigan said she was taking her dog, Daisy, out for a walk around 7 p.m. After putting Daisy on a leash, she opened the garage door and stepped into the driveway. She said her dog was then snatched by five coyotes.
“It was devastating,” Hennigan said. “I kept hanging on, and I knew my head was bleeding, but I thought, ‘I can’t let go.’”
Hennigan said the leash eventually snapped.
“I knew they’d taken her,” she said.
The incident landed Hennigan in the hospital for five days with a fractured eye socket, brain bleed and bruised arms. She’s now at home recovering from her injuries.
The community is surrounded by two golf courses, including Loma Santa Fe Country Club, and neighbors say coyotes have grown in numbers recently and appear to be traveling in packs.
Neighbors worry for their safety and the safety of children who may be walking pets. Hennigan said there was a meeting last week with the community HOA, wildlife experts and the neighboring country club to discuss ways they can work together to take action.
According to the San Diego Humane Society, coyotes typically avoid people. However, pet food, compost or trash can draw them out and “create the impression that homes or buildings are easy feeding areas.”
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