Animal Control Looking For Coyotes That Surrounded Woman, Dogs

December 7, 2011 7:48 AM

(CBS File Photo)

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Local, News, Seen on CBS 2, Syndicated Local

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CHICAGO (CBS) — Chicago Animal Care and Control is trying to track down three coyotes that surrounded a woman and her two dogs in the Lincoln Park neighborhood.

As CBS 2’s Kris Habermehl reports, coyotes are a way of life in and around Chicago, with a natural habitat in the suburbs that sometimes allows them to wander in the city.

On Tuesday, three coyotes apparently found their way into Lincoln Park ended up surrounding Kate Dodge, as she walked her 20- and 50-pound leashed dogs, Gordy and Madara, before daybreak at Clark Street and Armitage Avenue.

“They were maybe 50 feet from me, so we stopped,” she said.

Instead of moving on, Dodge said, the coyotes approached.

“Two stopped 20 feet away and kind of just branched out a little bit around me,” Dodge said. “The third one ran right in, and it was within a foot of us.”

Terrified after one of the coyotes started staring aggressively, Dodge said she started screaming in hopes of scaring the animal away.

“He was darting at the one smaller dog here (Gordy, a Labradoodle) and I raised a huge commotion.”

Dodge was able to get across Clark Street to her apartment, and leave the coyotes behind.

On Wednesday morning, Animal Care and Control agents will be out in Lincoln Park. If they see coyotes, they will trap them and relocate them, and do so humanely.

Habermehl says if you see a coyote, call 311 to get Animal Care and Control to the scene. Although a coyote sighting may seem like an emergency, do not call 911.

Animal Control Looking For Coyotes That Surrounded Woman, Dogs

Jim Hamilton

Here is another way to protect yourself

Support HB 148 The Right To Carry

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp?DocNum=148&GAID=11&GA=97&DocTypeID=HB&LegID=54713&SessionID=84

Roberta Waker

Amen, Jim. The key word is “protect” and not just shoot to kill.

Frank

We should chop down the trees in the Forest Preserves to protect the residents of Lincoln Park.

Roberta Waker

Chop down the trees then what? You will have to deal with standing water, flooding, rats, mosquitos, diseases – surely you are kidding. Right?

pam

I think there is a possibility that this person overreacted.
I have had some experience around coyotes and they generally are more afraid of humans…especially with larger dogs.
Just sayin.

Roberta Waker

If coyotes are hungry they will do the unexpected because they adapt very well to their surroundings. They are hunters and they hunt in packs, which makes them dangerous. No pack is afraid of humans when they are in their hunting mode and hungry. Three or four coyotes can kill a large dog – look what they do to elk and deer. Don’t underestimate them – I would rather overreact than end up with two dead dogs or maimed or dead myself.

Babs

I wonder if these are the “controlled” coyotes allowed to roam around the city by the animal control experts or wild coyotes. I recall a coyote that was cited on State Street (downtown) and it was reported that they were ‘protected’ and allowed to roam freely. Can anyone confirm this?
Roberta And Frank Should Do Lunch

Chop down the residents of Lincoln Park, and save the trees and the wildlife.
Donate A Yipp Yipp Dog Today!!!

Little dogs make nice coyote offerings.
Reggie

Carry an air horn. Works well.
Reggie6567

Sorry to you animal lovers but when this escalates into having a coyote attack a small child, it will be looked at in a different light. When coyotes become aggressive in urban areas they need to either be relocated to the country, or they should be euthanized.

Jim Hamilton

Reggie6567 is right on the button here and relocating is no promise that they can’t or wont find their way back or venture into a different town putting their citizens and children in danger. Once the animal loses its instinctive fear of humans they can become dangerous. I used to hunt coyotes with my uncle and friends and have seen a lot, usualy they go off to hunt in 2′s and are very timid, we have come across a few that have been cross bread with domesticated dogs and these pose the largest threat because they have the wildness of the coyote but yet there not so much afraid of people. In other words they’ll sometimes come right up in the back yard to kill a cow or sheep, chickens whatever.

There may have been a female here looking for a mate its about time for them to go into heat still a bit early but they don’t breed year round like domesticated dogs, the female chooses her mate and he’s the only one that she will let have her. the mating season lasts a couple of months.

No expert by any means just a few things we learned along the way.

ally

The FBI and DEA fabricate evidence, steal from suspects and use murder to close bad cases.
My dog was poisoned to death, a stolen car was run into the front of my house, gang members are harrassing me, I get death threats, BB guns are being shot at my car when I drive, my car is being tampered with, money and jewelry has been stolen out of my house and these corrupt DOD employees are using torture as a punishment.
Typical D.O.J. Investigation except they have been harassing me for 20 years.
Yard Ape

Animal control should use their time more wisely, and try to capture these savage feral monkeys that are plagueing Chicago!!!!!