Second Edina Coyote Attack Spurs Council Response

Becky Bennett had just let her dog Smokey, an 18-year-old Schipperke, into the backyard of her Edina home when she heard a sharp yelp.

"I opened the door and just started running," Bennett said. "I saw the coyote had her and was running away with Smokey in his mouth."

Bennett was screaming and flailing her arms as she chased after the coyote. The 10-pound dog suddenly fell from the animal's mouth. Bennett sprinted through her neighbor's yard and crouched between her beloved dog and the coyote, but it wasn't enough to scare off the hungry thief.

"He just stood within three feet of me, where he kept doing this pouncing, lunging sort of thing," Bennett said. "This one was far too comfortable around humans."

The dog sustained several puncture wounds to her shoulders and ribs, but Bennett was able to grab Smokey and flee to the safety of her home. It took close to a week before Smokey was walking without falling over, but Bennett said the dog has since made a full recovery.

Incidents such as this have inspired the Edina City Council to hash out a coyote response plan when it meets tonight, May 3, at . Mayor Jim Hovland mentioned the growing concern among local residents during the 2011 State of the Community address last week, saying the council will work hard to "figure out what to do with coyotes."

The city operates a deer management program, engaging a professional contractor to reduce Edina's deer population to a level close to the DNR's recommended carrying capacity for urban whitetail deer.

Animal Control Officer Tim Hunter said the most recent coyote attack was only the  in more than seven years with the Edina Police Department. The first happened a little more than a week prior.

"It could be sheer coincidence for all we know," Hunter said. "Two events do not make a trend and two animals out of an entire population can't indicate any sudden escalation or spike in behavior."

Bennett called on the council to get an accurate figure on the number of coyotes in Edina, then try to eliminate enough to get the population back under control.

"Do you wait until it attacks a child? How long is too long for something like this?" Bennett said. "The city has been put on notice. Let's see what they decide to do about this."

This wasn't the first time Bennett had seen the coyote. A little over a month prior, she had noticed it roaming her yard, at which point she called the city to voice concern about the wild animal.

"Our concern is we think there's an escalation in aggression from the coyotes," she said. "Nothing is going to kill them or keep their numbers in check, so something has to be done."

Hunter said coyotes tend to go after smaller animals, typically cats or small dogs, in unfenced backyards. While cautioning against leaving any pet unattended, Hunter said a coyote attack isn't as much of a concern with larger animals.

"From a predator standpoint, I wouldn't challenge anything big enough to hurt me," Hunter said. "I'm not going to go up against a 70-pound Golden Retriever."

That's of little consolation to Bennett.

"Smokey used to be able to go out in her yard, lay down in the sun and just enjoy herself," she said. "I'm not sure that will ever happen again."