Wichita woman loses beloved pet to coyote attack

Early last week, Shelley Duncan took her dog for a run.

It was a routine thing, Duncan said. Typically, she would do a quick jog near the Tallgrass golf course before hitting a 5:30 a.m. yoga class. Gwenny, a 10-year-old Italian greyhound, was her diligent companion, always running just a few feet behind.

But as she ran that morning along the green, past houses and cars, Duncan said she heard a noise behind her. Thinking Gwenny had encountered a cat, she stopped.

“I turned around and a coyote had her,” Duncan said.

Before she could do anything, the coyote ran off into a brushy area, taking Gwenny with it.

“It was still dark, but I could just see her little body, this thing carrying her across the field,” Duncan said. “I, of course, completely freaked out.”

Coyotes have been increasing in urban areas in recent years, according to Charlie Cope, a biologist at the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism. Cope said he typically gets five to 15 reports a year of coyotes in Wichita, although this was the first time he had heard of one attacking a dog.

Duncan said she created “quite a ruckus” on the course that morning, yelling and screaming. Two golf course maintenance men came by and together they tried to find Gwenny, but the dog was never recovered.

Duncan said she was shocked.

“I never would have thought,” she said.

Wildlife is not so wild

Coyotes, a pest to farmers and ranchers, have been moving farther into populated urban areas in recent years, according to Cope.

Cope said these particular coyotes are born and raised near people and as a result are acclimated to the noises and habits that would otherwise alarm them.

“They’re used to traffic noises, horns honking, dogs barking, people yelling,” Cope said. “All the noises that typically would frighten a rural coyote.”

Unlike a coyote that lives in the country, coyotes in populated areas aren’t scared off by people and often inhabit wooded areas, parks and abandoned fields, Cope said. They can even wander into backyards.

Getting rid of urban coyotes is tricky. Kansas generally doesn’t restrict the killing of coyotes – if it’s on your property and causing problems, it’s your prerogative, according to Cope. However, inside Wichita’s city limits, where the discharging of firearms is illegal, dealing with the animals is a bit more difficult. The task of disposing of nuisance coyotes is usually left up to pest control.

Chad Countryman, nuisance wildlife manager with Kansas Critter Control, said when he gets a call about a coyote, he sets up a cage-like trap in the area, captures the animal and takes it away to be euthanized.

Countryman said he has seen an increase in coyote activity recently, something he attributes to several years of good rain and a thriving food chain. However, an incident like Duncan’s could mean the coyotes are experiencing over-population and increased competition for food.

“That indicates some really desperate and hungry coyotes,” Countryman said.

Cope said this time of year, coyotes are usually on the hunt for “whole” food to bring back to their young. He said they typically prey on foxes and other small rodents, and that pets of similar size could be susceptible to danger.

Taking precautions

There are ways residents can avoid coyotes without killing or trapping them, Cope said. Keeping trash lids secure, making sure water, dog or cat food is out of reach, locking up animals at night and picking up fallen fruit from trees can discourage the animals from coming too close.

Cope also said it’s important that residents do not voluntarily feed the coyotes, to prevent them from becoming too comfortable around people.

“We’ve got people we know of that have fed coyotes and foxes and all of those things, and that changes their behavior,” Cope said.

If a coyote does approach your house or pet, he said it wouldn’t hurt to try to scare it off.

“I would have something that I could throw at them, or an air horn or something,” Cope said. “And you know coyotes are like dogs, you want to raise your hand and make yourself bigger than your peer and yell and those types of things.”

Countryman, with Kansas Critter Control, said coyotes are generally not a danger to humans but can harm small animals and carry diseases. Urbanized coyotes can be pretty bold, he said, and with the population growth, they could be taking more chances.

Duncan said she wants other pet owners to be aware of the dangers of coyotes.

“If you have an animal, have it on a leash, and if you’re going before sunbreak, just really watch out,” Duncan said. “I’d be very careful in that area.”

Gwenny was adopted by Duncan about two years ago. Despite her age, Duncan said, Gwenny was always up for a run, whether it was five minutes or two hours.

“She really was like my best buddy,” she said.

This story was originally published July 2, 2016 at 10:54 AM with the headline "Wichita woman loses beloved pet to coyote attack."