Dog Owners Beware: Boise Dog Slaughtered By Coyotes On Patio
Yesterday I learned my co-worker's West Highland Terrier was recently slaughtered and ripped apart by two coyotes.
Like something straight out of a horror movie, the bloodbath had unfolded before his wife's very eyes. Helpless and horrified, she watched as the coyotes had their way with her 10-year-old female Westie. A two-dog family, one of their pups had managed to narrowly escape the same fate.
Something especially worth noting is that this tragedy didn't occur on an Idaho deep-woods camping trip. Nor did trail runs have anything to do with the situation.
Their 10-year-old good girl was dismembered on their patio in Southeast Boise.
As I stood there listening to every horrifying detail that spilled from my co-worker's mouth, I shuttered at the thought of Star's frequent coyote sightings. And while our own two patio-life-loving Labradors are several times the size of the slain canine, a single coyote let alone two would have them punching above their own weight class and fatally bested.
As of this past February 2022, Idaho Fish and Game advise local homeowners and nature enthusiasts to "take extra safety precautions, especially while [Idaho] is in the middle of coyote breeding season."
You can reduce your chance of encountering a coyote or more in your own backyard. Regular and frequent dog waste removal and ridding the area of attractants, dog food, and bird feeders are easy coyote-proofing measures that can save your dog's life. As an added measure, never leave your dogs outside near dusk.
Idaho Fish and Game reminds residents that "coyotes are classified as a Predator, which means they may be [hunted] in any amount" in concert with the appropriate permits.
For more information on how to respond to local coyote sightings, visit Idaho Fish and Game.
