Satellite Beach pet owners warned to protect cats, dogs from coyote attack

Rick Neale
Florida Today

SATELLITE BEACH — The coyote that prowls Dana Meredith's neighborhood off Desoto Parkway shows little fear of humans. And one night in July, the predator invaded his fenced backyard and seized Smudgie, his "loving old fat cat," from his screened porch.

"It went in back there, killed (Smudgie), took it to the front yard, and ate all of it — except for the head and the two front legs," Meredith said of his cat's fatal coyote encounter.

Wednesday night, Meredith joined a standing-room crowd of about 100 people at a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission coyote town hall at the Satellite Beach Civic Center.

Angeline Scotten, an FWC senior biologist, speaks during Wednesday's coyote town hall at the Satellite Beach Civic Center.

A stuffed coyote peered at the audience alongside tables containing canine skulls, fur pelts, animal traps, cast paw prints and other props. FWC personnel from Tallahassee, Lakeland and Ocala distributed coyote informative brochures and fielded one-on-one questions from concerned residents.

“We’re here to talk about urban coyotes and pet loss. So I don’t want to sugarcoat it at all: It is no secret that coyotes will predate pets if they are left outdoors. Period," Angeline Scotten, an FWC senior biologist, told the crowd.

Free-ranging cats are at the most risk, Scotten warned. But unattended small dogs are also easy prey for hungry coyotes.

“In most of these cases where a small dog is taken by a coyote, it's not on a leash. It's not with a person. And it's not in a well-fenced-in yard. And the coyote" — Scotten said, snapping her fingers — "takes advantage of the opportunity of that small dog left unattended by itself."

FWC conducted a similar coyote workshop in February 2016 at the Gleason Park Recreation Center in Indian Harbour Beach. The previous month, Indian Harbour Beach police had posted surveillance video on Facebook of a coyote chasing a pet cat near Gleason Park. 

Coyote prowling Indian Harbour Beach; pet cat missing

Coyote town hall addresses beachside pet owners' fears

Satellite Beach Police Chief Jeff Pearson and Indian Harbour Beach Police Chief David Butler attended Wednesday's event. Both said no recent coyote sightings have been reported to their departments, but beachside residents have posted numerous coyote sightings on social media.

Efforts to trap beachside coyotes on public property proved fruitless last year.

"Coyotes have been persecuted for centuries. Ever since colonists came to the U.S., people have been killing coyotes. They’ve been killing them. They’ve been shooting them. They’ve been trapping them. Even poisoning them. And they still expanded their range to every state in the U.S. except Hawaii," Scotten said.

"That’s impressive. We really can’t get rid of them, due to their reproduction and their adaptability," she said.

Coyote town hall attendee Charlotte Hill described her friend's close call with a coyote about four months ago in the neighborhood near the former South Patrick Hardware & Lumber in Indian Harbour Beach. 

"She was going to take her trash can out, and it was at night. And her cat — who is indoor-outdoor — came running into the garage and under the car. And it was followed closely by a coyote," Hill recalled.

"So she was standing there face-to-face with a coyote," she said.

Hill, who lives in Satellite Beach, worries about the safety of her beloved cats, Calvin and Lucy.

"Our cats love the porch, which is screened in. And they have a kitty door. And I know they go out to the porch at night sometimes," Hill said.

"Could a coyote go through the screen and come get them?"

Contact South Brevard Watchdog Reporter Rick Neale at 321-242-3638, rneale@floridatoday.com or follow @RickNeale1 on Twitter.

Tips to protect pets from coyotes

• Never leave pets outside and unattended.

• Avoid feeding pets outside.

• Secure garbage cans.

• Remove food attractants from your yard, such as fallen fruit.

• Clean areas around bird feeders.

• If a coyote approaches, assert human dominance by blowing air horns, yelling, throwing rocks and sticks, or banging pots and pans.  

Report coyote sightings

If you spot a coyote, call Satellite Beach police at 321-773-4400 or Indian Harbour Beach police at 321-773-3030.