Dallas Animal Services discusses 'Coyote Management Plan' at Lake Highlands neighborhood meeting
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Last week's coyote attack that left a two year-old Dallas boy severely injured was the center of discussion at a neighborhood meeting in Lake Highlands on May 9.
Several residents said prior to the attack, they called 311 or 911 to report an aggressive coyote sighting and never heard back.
"Can you explain to me what you're doing to internally to educate yourselves because I see a pattern with the calls?" Lake Highlands resident David Briggs asked Dallas Animal Services Director Melissa Webber.
"We are working with the USDA to create this Coyote Management Plan so we can use that plan as we go forward," she responded.
In part the plan will:
*provide educational info about urban coyotes
*detail coyote attractants
*outline coyote coexistence strategies and techniques
All of this will be submitted to city for review and approval when complete.
And as the two-year-old boy recovers from the attack, Webber is also providing some answers. DAS reported in the last three months, prior to the incident, the city received more than a dozen calls regarding coyotes. Actions seeming more aggressive as time went on, reports going from coyotes following students to school and stalking small dogs to killing a dog last month and stalking children.
"I wish that we had a neighborhood meeting ahead of time to further educate," Webber said. "I don't know that that would have prevented the attack, but I would've liked to provide more education."
She said residents need to know problematic behavior which includes coyotes:
*entering yards and other areas frequented by humans
*does not easily scare or startle
*steals food
*appears sick or injured
The city has established a hotline to report coyote sightings. The number is 469.676.9813.
They also recommend not having food delivered to doorsteps, as it it can attract coyotes.
