Arizona is full of many wonderful inhabitants, including those that we consider unwanted. As we continue to encroach on desert land sooner or later you will encounter the coyote. These two photographs were taken by a local resident and illustrate how coyotes can adapt very well to their surroundings. We, who live in Casa Grande and surrounding areas, should not assume our home, our family, and our pets are 100% immune to these local natives. First and foremost if you ever encounter a coyote face to face, never approach it and never run from it. Running from a coyote can stimulate their natural instinct to chase their prey. Dominance is the key to scaring off your unwanted visitor, so always maintain eye contact until your mission has been completed. You can achieve success by creating loud noises like whistling, cranking up your radio, shaking a can filled with pennies, or banging on pots and pans. Spraying them with the water hose or throwing rocks near them, not at them, also achieves the same result. It is important to be mindful of your home surroundings, reduce your risk of becoming the local coyote hang-out by following a few simple rules. Keep all trash contained and your pet's food bowls inside. If small pets are outside make sure they are supervised or in a contained area, such as a kennel with a roof or an enclosed backyard. Fencing around your property that is at least 6 feet tall and a few inches buried underground is your best barrier defense. Installing outside lighting and keeping your shrubs trimmed will also decrease your homes risk of being an appetizing environment for the local coyotes. Like small animals, small children under the age of 5 are at risk from coyotes so, always supervise them when playing outside, especially near water sources. The possibility of one being bitten by a coyote is low. However, the risk can increase if they are being fed by human hands. According to the Arizona Department of Health Services the occurance of rabies among coyotes in the state of Arizona is extremely low. Keep in mind that even though the risk of rabies is low, it does still exist and you should always exercise extreme caution. Along with rabies the coyote may also carry canine parvovirus or heartworm disease so it would be wise to keep your pet current on vaccinations and heartworm preventatives. Remember we invaded their home and coyotes play a vital role in our enviroment. To obtain more information on living with coyotes, feel free to stop by our hospital and pick up an educational brochure that has been provided to us for you by the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
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contained area, such as a kennel with a roof or an enclosed backyard. Fencing around your property that is at least 6 feet tall and a few inches buried underground is your best barrier defense. Installing outside lighting and keeping your shrubs trimmed will also decrease your homes risk of being an appetizing environment for the local coyotes. Like small animals, small children under the age of 5 are at risk from coyotes so, always supervise them when playing outside, especially near water sources. The possibility of one being bitten by a coyote is low. However, the risk can increase if they are being fed by human hands. According to the Arizona Department of Health Services the occurance of rabies among coyotes in the state of Arizona is extremely low. Keep in mind that even though the risk of rabies is low, it does still exist and you should always exercise extreme caution. Along with rabies the coyote may also carry canine parvovirus or heartworm disease so it would be wise to keep your pet current on vaccinations and heartworm preventatives. Remember we invaded their home and coyotes play a vital role in our enviroment. To obtain more information on living with coyotes, feel free to stop by our hospital and pick up an educational brochure that has been provided to us for you by the Arizona Game and Fish Department.