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Published Wednesday, August 06, 2008 in Local

Pets victims of wild animal attacks near Newnan

By Amanda Zechiel

The Times-Herald

More Cowetans seem to be encountering wild animals in residential areas, often ending in tragedy for beloved pets.

Most recently, reports of coyotes threatening and killing neighborhood pets have given rise to concern for the safety of children and even adults in historically safe neighborhoods just south of Newnan.

James and Karen Green have lived on Hearthstone Drive West for 17 years, but it wasn't until July 31 that they ever questioned their safety or the safety of their dog Sissy. Sissy, a 17-year-old AKC white toy poodle, was the victim of what appears to be a coyote attack at 5 a.m. last Thursday morning.

Mr. Green explained that Sissy was well-trained and never had trouble going outside to go to the bathroom. However, on this particular morning, she had an accident inside their home just before he let her outside.

"She was acting so strange, and she knew that it was around," Green said.

According to Mrs. Green, it was only a couple moments after her husband had let Sissy outside that she heard her screaming. By the time the Greens rushed out to check on her, she had apparently dragged herself out of the woods where she had been attacked.

The Greens' house is adjacent to 60 acres of land, but Sissy never ventured into the woods alone. It was clear that the predator had "dragged her into the woods like prey," according to Mr. Green.

The Greens immediately rushed Sissy to the Union City Emergency Hospital, where she was found to have a punctured lung and a completely severed spine. She was too old to endure surgery, and the family opted to put her to sleep.

At first, the Greens weren't sure what animal had attacked their pet. However, discussions with neighbors about animals recently seen in the area where the attack took place suggested it was probably the work of a coyote. Mr. Green also followed the tracks that the animal left in the woods, which led him to Crystal Lake where he met several fishermen who said they had seen the coyote in the area.

"This broke our hearts," Mrs. Green said. "I don't think we'll ever get over it. Sissy knew he was out there, and she was afraid."

At this point, the Greens are most interested in warning neighbors about the threat.

"We are concerned about other pets and small children. We've tried to warn our neighbors, and people need to know that this is a real danger," said Mrs. Green.

It seems that Mrs. Green is not alone in her fears.

Jan Stout lives not far north of the Greens on Bailey Drive, close to Newnan High School, and she enjoys feeding the cats that live around her home. Over the past year, Stout has lost eight of 10 cats to predator attacks, the most recent attack taking place Aug. 1, just a day after the Greens' dog was killed.

The attack took place in the middle of the afternoon in Stout's front yard, where she found a kitten dead just a few minutes later.

"I knew that it was a recent kill because there weren't even any flies on it yet," Stout explained.

Stout contacted Larry Newby, licensed trapper and controller for nuisance wildlife, who told her he believed the predator to be an adolescent coyote because it attacked during the day and remained in the yard to eat its prey.

Stout's dog, which is usually friendly and confident around other animals, has been reacting to the predator's presence as well, Stout said. He has tried to break through the door leading from the yard into the house in attempt to get inside, scraping through the layers of the door in his urgency.

"He always gets along with other animals, and he's never scared. But whatever this predator is, it's causing him to be afraid and want inside very badly. He's trying to make his own doggie door," said Stout.

On Friday, just before the attack, Stout believes her dog was trying to alert her to the coyote's presence.

"He was trying hard to get inside, and I yelled at him but let him in. He probably smelled it or heard it coming. Now, I'm so proud of him, and I feel bad about scolding him before," she said.

Over the past several months, Stout has heard what she believes to be attacks taking place outside beneath her bedroom window. The predator, she explained, is silent, but the rustling of the bushes and the cries of the cats make it clear what is happening.

Stout is working with Newby to trap the coyote, for the safety of her animals and the rest of the neighborhood.

"It's an expensive process, but to protect the neighborhood, it's necessary," she said. Unfortunately, the process may not prove to be an easy one.

According to Newby, a coyote that has encountered a trap before but has managed to escape it will be very difficult to trap. It is likely the coyote will recognize the trap and avoid it.

Still, Stout believes this is a problem that needs to be addressed.

"I wish more people would come forward with problems like this. A fresh kill in my front yard during the day is what put me over the top, and I had to do something. If it will attack during the day, what's to keep it from attacking me?"

As the losses related to nuisance wildlife become very personal, the Green and Stout families are concerned about this growing problem and how it will affect more families in their neighborhoods. Like the Greens, Stout has been trying to inform her neighbors of this potential threat and hopes that they will use caution.

"People need to be warned to keep a close eye on their pets, during both the daytime and nighttime," Stout said. "We have had reports of bears in Cobb County, bobcats here in Coweta, and now coyotes. It feels like the "Wizard of Oz" ... bears and bobcats and coyotes, oh my!"