Menifee neighborhood plagued by deadly coyote attacks

Coyotes like this one are preying on pet dogs in Menifee neighborhoods -- especially near Murrieta Road and McCall Boulevard. Photo courtesy of Dept. of Fish and Wildlife

Editor's note: This story originally appeared in the July 1 issue of the Menifee 24/7 newspaper. Pick up a copy at local businesses for additional news content. The next newspaper publishes this weekend.

Victoria Smith took her small dog into the back yard one recent Saturday night near Fairlane Drive and Covington Way, just a few blocks east of St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church in Menifee. Just before dusk, it was a peaceful night – for a moment.

Suddenly a coyote leaped over Smith’s back yard fence right in front of her and grabbed her 4-pound pet miniature pinscher in its mouth. Smith’s other dog ran at the coyote and fought it before the wild animal dropped the smaller dog and jumped back over the fence, running down the street.

The dog was rushed to an emergency veterinarian clinic, where it received 68 staples and five drains. It survived, thanks to the owner’s quick action and a $3,000 vet bill.

"He is not afraid of me at all," Smith said about the coyote, which along with others has increasingly roamed the streets of a neighborhood north of McCall Boulevard and between Murrieta Road and Gross Pointe Drive. A golf course is located to the east and a hillside a few blocks to the west, giving coyotes plenty of places to hide.

Unfortunately, the animals are not staying in those areas. In recent months, they have become more aggressive and are blamed for at least six deaths of pet dogs in the neighborhood.

“My neighbor dog was killed by a coyote a couple weeks before that,” Smith said. “I’ve seen one twice at about 4:30 in the afternoon, just trotting down the street. Last week, it was seen at some houses across the street. Two of them were in someone’s yard.”

Coyotes are often sighted in the rural areas of Menifee, and attacks on dogs have been reported for years. Monique Middleton, chief animal control officer for Animal Friends of the Valleys, said she does not believe there has been a significant increase in the number of coyotes in the area.

The biggest problem in this particular neighborhood, she said, is that two residents have admitted to feeding the coyotes. This is illegal and could result in citations issued to the offenders.

“Two ladies in the neighborhood were feeding them,” said Middleton, who is responsible for animal control through contract with the City of Menifee. “We notified both parties this was illegal. One woman’s response was, ‘They look hungry; they’re skinny and maybe they were kicked out of the pack.’ She was feeding them raw chicken.”

This coyote was only seen in the distance in Menifee, near Holland Road and Briggs Road. Photo by Jennifer Kries

Middleton said she posted a notice on the door of both residences. She has not been able to speak personally to one of the women but the other responded.

“Another resident told me she said to them, ‘I guess I can’t feed the coyotes anymore.’ I hope that has stopped.”

Suzanne Tyre lives about a block away from Smith on Lancaster Drive. She said she is certain that the feeding of the coyotes has made them less scared of people and even more aggressive now that they have to once again find their own food.

“I used to walk my dog every morning and night,” Tyre said. “One too many times, a coyote has come directly at me. One time he was staring me down and he was in my path home. I had a neighbor drive me home.”

Three local residents -- Smith, Cynthia Cook and Maria Stowe – attended the City of Menifee Public Safety Committee meeting in June and voiced their concerns. They said Middleton responded with some suggestions about “hazing” the coyotes but admitted there is only so much that can be done. Coyotes fall under the regulation of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Cook said some residents of the neighborhood also expressed concerns at an HOA meeting June 26 but were told that organization could do nothing to help them.

“The biggest thing is not to feed them,” Cook said. “That made them so used to people that they’re not afraid of us.”

Cook acknowledged some of the suggestions given by Middleton, which include tying mylar balloons to fences, installing pipe on fences to make the coyotes’ footing more difficult, and banging pans with a spoon to scare them away.

“They said the coyotes are afraid of those things, but I don’t think they’re afraid of anything anymore,” she said.

Stowe said she has tried to warn neighbors and wants to help educate people about the dangers of walking dogs in the area, feeding them and leaving pets unattended even in their own back yards.

“Animal control says they can’t trap them; that’s one dog that won’t go into a cage,” she said. “I haven’t had an attack, but I do go out in fear when I walk my dog. My chihuahua weighs about five pounds. He could be gone in one bite.”

Middleton emphasized the importance of being aware of one’s surroundings, following the hazing techniques if confronted and most of all, not feeding the coyotes.

“That’s absolutely against the law,” she said. “We have to educate the public about this. People can call us. It’s really under the jurisdiction of Fish and Wildlife, but we’re probably the ones who will show up.

“Coyotes have no natural predator to worry about in this area. There are no mountain lions that are going to come down and get them. They have learned they are safer living among us than in the hills.”

Middleton said there has been only one reported coyote attack of a human in recent years in Southern California. The biggest danger remains to pets, and owners should take steps to protect their animals at all times.