Coyote kills dog in Parklawn area

There coyotes are in the Parklawn area but it is not known if they were responsible for the recent attack. [FCPD]

Animal protection officers with the Fairfax County Police Department have installed nine cameras in the Parklawn community after a coyote killed a small dog there earlier this month.

There is no cause for alarm, however, as coyote attacks on humans are extremely rare, says FCPD public information officer Tara Gerhard. Pet owners should be careful, but, “we’re not trying to cause any hysteria or panic. There is no reason to panic.”

In that incident, a homeowner was in the backyard in the 6100 block of Yellowstone Drive playing with his Jack Russell Terrier at about 2-3 p.m., on May 5. When the dog’s toy went over the fence into a heavily wooded area, the homeowner opened the gate to let the dog out to retrieve it, and the dog was attacked by a coyote.

The coyote was not captured, and there are no photos of the incident, so it is not known whether that coyote is the same one that has been sighted in the community. “Coyotes are well-established in our area,” Gerhard says.

This is the second time a coyote fatally attacked a dog in Mason District in the past five months. In December, a coyote killed a small Maltese Terrier in the Broyhill Crest neighborhood.

Coyotes are typically about 30 to 40 pounds but coyotes up to 60 pounds have been seen, Gerhard says.

“Dogs are vulnerable to coyote confrontations, especially when unattended,” states a news release from the FCPD. Conflicts between dogs and coyotes can happen year-round but are more likely during coyote mating season (January-March) and when coyotes are caring for their young (March-August).

FCPD offers the following advice to prevent conflicts with coyotes:

• Never feed a coyote.
• Securely cover your trash bins and compost piles.
• Do not feed pets outside or store pet food outside.
• Do not leave your pet unattended, even in a fenced yard
• Keep cats indoors.
• Pick up ripe, fallen fruit and do not let it accumulate on the ground.
• Keep dogs on short leashes (less than six feet) while walking outside.
• Install motion sensor lights or a motion activated sprinkler around your home.

The Animal Service Division is working with the county’s wildlife management specialist to monitor coyote activity in coordination with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to determine if additional actions need to be taken.

The mere presence of a coyote should not be cause for alarm but sightings of aggressive, sick, or injured animals should be reported to the police non-emergency number, 703-691-2131.