A miniature pinscher dog was killed in a coyote attack in his fenced yard Monday, warns Conservation Officer Ken Owens.
He said the coyote hopped over a six-foot high fence to get at two pets in the downtown Westbank area.
Although he says normally spring is the worst time for pets being killed by coyotes, because the parents are trying to feed their pups as well as themselves, he said there’s another spike in the fall as the parents teach those pups to hunt.
There wasn’t anything the dog’s owners did wrong, he said, but he does warn residents to make sure pets are inside for the night and that no pet food or other attractants are left out where coyotes could get at it.
Once the animals get hardwired to taking advantage of food people leave out, they can be dangerous, he warned.
This summer, he said a coyote approached a toddler on the Two Eagles golf course, so people in the area should be wary.
The Okanagan is great coyote habitat, but people must ensure they don’t attract them.
Conservation officers don’t want to have to put down wild coyotes, but they will if they have to, he said.
jsteeves@kelownacapnews.com
