There is a warning for pet owners in parts of southern Pinellas County. Neighbors are seeing coyotes roaming the area, and some are missing their cats.
“It was loud. It was horrific. She was able to watch it,” Tami Taylor said of her Jungle Terrace neighbor who watched a coyote go after a pet.
“My neighbor across the street heard it two nights ago and it was right outside her bedroom window and it killed her cat,” said Taylor.
Neighbors are reporting coyotes in many locations, not just nearby woods.
“There’s sightings everywhere,” she said.
Fact is, coyotes are common, even in built up areas of Pinellas County.
They turn up in places you least expect.
Bill Fields keeps his dog, Colby, on a short leach to be safe.
“The problem seems to be primarily for cats more than dogs. And it seems to be a problem for neighborhood cats because the cats run loose,” said Fields.
Florida Fish and Wildlife and Pinellas Animal Services don’t respond to coyote calls.
So keeping your pet safe means never leaving food out, keep dogs on a short leash and carrying a stick, whistle or air horn to scare them away.
Taylor’s cat has a new routine.
“He was always an outdoor cat and now I won’t let him out at night, just especially since two nights ago.”
Attacks against people are rare. Still, coyotes could go after a small child.
So don’t leave them alone, even in a back yard.
