ANDOVER, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Coyote mating season is here in Massachusetts, and that can spell danger for local pets. Andover Animal Control Officer Katie Kozikowski says we may be seeing more coyotes during the day than usual.
Kozikowski said that means cats should stay indoors, especially between dawn and dusk, and dogs should be kept on a leash and watched closely. She said many people don't think of their pets as possible coyote food.
"They think if coyotes are going after a pet there must be something wrong with them, or they're dangerous, but they could just see your tiny ten-pound dog in the back yard as an easy meal, as opposed to the super-fast three-pound rabbit that's running past them."
Coyotes can easily clear a six-foot back yard fence, and officials said residents should be careful where they are leaving food.
Kozikowski said there is a way to scare off coyotes, if you see them: "Walk towards it, make a lot of noise, and scare it off," she said.
The mating season lasts between now and March.
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