Reader expresses frustration at coyote problem in Las Vegas Valley
I read your article (“Experts advise Sun City Summerlin residents how best to deal with coyote population,” Sept. 29 Summerlin Area View) on the disturbance of coyotes. So many emotions flood over me on this subject and none of them very positive. My mom has lived in her house in Sun City for over 20 years.
She is 86 years old. While living there, they have always owned a pet dog. She has had Toby, a rescue dog, for about 5 years. Needless to say, he is her constant companion. Until this year, there has never been a threat like this one.
Her Toby was attacked in her backyard on a Sunday around 7 a.m. He survived with a $1,200 vet bill. My mom is suffering from early dementia. Even though we have reminded her about the attack, she constantly forgets to keep him in.
Where is the concern for all these elderly people who cannot constantly be there to keep their pets in? You have a population of people with walkers, etc., who have physical limitations. Who is looking out for them? Do they not have the right to a safe backyard for their animals? Dogs are not meant to be house-bound.
Oh, and by the way, what happens to a domestic dog if it kills another domestic dog? Aren’t they put down?
I am so furious how everyone wants to continue to let the coyote population continue to grow. They have no predators. Will it be like the wild horse situation where many more had to be euthanized because of inaction?
But of course, we are dealing with government. It is so shameful that they do not care about my mom and her Toby. Their poor attempt at educating us is laughable. Why not just say put your pet in a cage because the coyotes have free range?
One side note: My father-in-law lives in Veyo, Utah, on a stream. They have wild turkeys that roam through the yards. One of his neighbors did not like them coming through her undeveloped property. When she called wildlife, they came and removed several of them. Too bad we cannot call on them.
— Linda Williams, Las Vegas
