Are Coyotes Becoming A Big Problem for Pets in Rockford?

Spotting coyotes within the Rockford city limits is nothing new.

Stories about people's pets being attacked by coyotes in the Rockford city limits sadly, isn't anything new either, but I worry that it's happening way too frequently these days.

In the last week I have heard two awful stories about dogs being attacked by coyotes in Rockford. The first was from a friend of mine who returned from work one morning and found a bleeding and severely injured dog in his driveway, which he believes was attacked by a coyote.

He provided a picture on Facebook and explained that;

She had injuries to her eye, legs, and a bad gash on her chest which is where most of the blood was coming from. There was blood all over the drive. Kristin gave me a towel that I used to apply pressure and stop the bleeding. Ended up calling animal control to get her so they could give her medical attention. The officers that arrived were very gentle with her and she eagerly got into the cage in the warm van.
Now this pretty girl had a collar with only a rabies tag. Tag was current and her nails were trimmed and she seemed in good health. Someone was missing this baby and I hope they find her. As for her injuries, I think she was attacked by a coyote.

This sweet girl has since been reunited with her owners, received the medical attention she needed, and is doing well.

The second awful story I heard this week was about a dog being drug through a fence by a coyote in Rockford. Here's the story from mystateline.com;

You guys, I have three dogs, two of them are little, and I only have an invisible fence around my yard. Stories like this terrify me, so what's the best things we can do to keep our fur babies safe?

As Ed Cross,  the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director of Communications told WTVO, keeping your garbage secured and a close eye on your animals while they're outside is the absolute key. If you encounter a coyote, make noise and wave your arms to scare them, and make sure you share all sightings with your neighbors so they are on alert.

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