Whitefish Bay again warning pet owners after small dog apparently killed by 2 coyotes

WHITEFISH BAY -- Whitefish Bay police are warning pet owners to be alert after a small dog was apparently killed by two coyotes.

It happened Sunday, December 11th around 5:30 a.m. in the eastern part of the Village of Whitefish Bay.

Police say the dog's owner was out shoveling and the white dog was loose outside.

When the owner couldn't find his dog, he walked over to the other side of the car parked in the driveway and found the dog. Two coyotes then apparently ran away from the dog -- headed west.

The dog died as a result of injuries suffered in this incident.

Police said in a statement the DNR has been contacted to assess the severity of this and the other incident this year, and the likelihood of the same two coyotes being involved with the other incident this year in October.

That incident occurred three blocks from Estabrook Park and the Milwaukee River, while Sunday’s incident was two blocks from the Lake Michigan bluffs, and seven blocks north of the previous incident.

Both dogs were very small dogs -- approximately four to five pounds each.

Police are reminding that Whitefish Bay and neighboring communities have wildlife because of the close proximity to parks and natural resources. Estabrook Park, the Milwaukee River and Lake Michigan have long attracted wildlife such as coyotes, which have been in this area for years.

During certain times of year, like now, a few precautions need to be taken to ensure safety of all pets.

If you have a small dog, police say you should NOT leave it unattended and stay close to it in order to intimidate a possible coyote attack.

DO NOT use a leash with a retractable long cable.

Never let cats out to roam.

Police say it’s important to know that in modern times no human in Wisconsin has been attacked by a coyote. There have been numerous incidents in the state and the metro Milwaukee area where small dogs and cats have been killed by coyotes but no humans have been attacked by a coyote.

There is no reason to believe that these coyotes in our area will be the first coyotes in modern times to attack a human.

If you see a coyote in your neighborhood, you're asked to call the Whitefish Bay Non-Emergency Police Department : 414-351-9900.