New Jersey coyote attacks have dog owners on alert as police issue new warning

New Jersey pet owners are being warned to keep an eye out after recent incidents between coyotes and dogs. 

The official warning comes after coyote sightings in North Haledon in Passaic County and Glen Rock in Bergen County. 

Coyote sightings caught on video

Video shows a coyote casually walking by a house on Tamboer Drive in North Haledon, which neighbors described as a regular occurrence.

"You see them around. They don't bother you. We don't bother them," resident Tyler Cammarota said. 

But coyotes recently went after two dogs in separate incidents near the street, according to police.

Coyotes were also spotted in recent days on Dunham Place in Glen Rock, which neighbors say is near homes that back up to an athletic field. 

Bruce Balkaema, who is friends with one of the dog's owners, described one of the attacks. 

"His dog was in the backyard, and the coyotes were in the woods behind his house and then came and bit her, attacked her in the tail area," Balkaema said. 

Balkaema's friend was not home when CBS News New York went by the property, but, according to police, both dogs were said to be OK. 

A Ho-Ho-Kus family's 11-year-old Shih Tzu was mauled to death by a coyote in October. Days earlier, surveillance video captured a coyote going after a golden retriever, then pouncing on a woman in a backyard in Woodcliff Lake. 

Keep dogs leashed, police warn

Though coyotes are a normal part of New Jersey's environment, authorities are now warning residents to keep dogs on leashes and avoid letting pets, including cats, roam unattended, especially at dawn and dusk. 

Police also urge homeowners to not leave out unsecured garbage cans, as well as pet and bird food, which could attract coyotes looking for food. 

Balkaema said he's noticed the coyote population increasing over the past 20 years. 

"My opinion is they have become more domesticated, they have become less afraid," he said. "I think that there are animals here for them to eat and prey on."

What to do in a coyote encounter

If you encounter a coyote, police say to make yourself appear large, be loud and slowly back away while keeping eye contact. 

If you observe an aggressive coyote, you should immediately report it to the local police department.