Printable VersionWith issues recently centering on coyote populations in Lake Havasu City, it might be of some benefit to hear from those who’ve encountered coyotes.
 Mai Tai, a Siamese cat, enjoys a sip of milk from a saucer at a local residence in this undated photo. The feline survived a coyote attack that claimed his left-front leg. Submitted photo |
TEDDY
Lisa Bowman’s Chihuahua, Teddy, was killed by a coyote 5 years ago. The incident occurred about 8 a.m. June 27 in 2007.
“It happened right in front of me,” she said. “And the (coyote) came and just grabbed him. I’m still devastated. Six months later I would still cry. And once in a while it still upsets me.”
Bowman said she didn’t have a fenced in yard. She’s been a Havasu resident since 1984.
JAKE
Hal Christiansen, a Havasu resident since 1987, said he has a block wall and always had at least one big dog. In March 2011, his big dog was put to sleep because he was nearly 20 years old. This left two Chihuahuas unprotected, so to speak.
“I always heard coyotes didn’t like block wall enclosures,” he said.
But on April 21, 2011, at about 10 p.m. Christiansen was enlightened when he learned one of his two Chihuahuas had been taken.
“The male and female always greet us,” he said. “The girl was in the living room, scared. But there was no boy. We couldn’t find Jake, just a few spots of blood on the concrete (patio). From there, we’ve learned.
“Coyotes know there are animals. And they know what size animals are in your yard.”
Since, Christiansen has constructed a fenced area with panels measuring 6-feet high by 5-feet wide that cover a portion of grassy area of about 60 feet.
“Unless we’re home they just flat can’t go out without us,” he said. “We turn the big light on, go out and make noise. I understand (coyotes) are predators, but we don’t have food or water or a doggy door. We’ve taken steps to make it much more difficult for the predators, including owls, too.”
MOLLIE
In August 2010 beneath a full moon, Denise Blanker’s beloved 8-year-old Pug, Mollie, encountered a coyote at about 9 p.m.
“I let her out to go potty and I was right behind her,” Blanker said. “And the (coyote) jumped right in front of me. I yelled at the coyote. It dropped Mollie and went back over into a dirt lot and watched me. I was hysterical. It was devastating, devastating. Mollie bled out in my arms.”
Blanker said she lives near a wash area. She described the attacker as a “huge male” coyote.
As a result, Blanker said she won’t own small dogs, or cats either, after the experience.
“(Coyote populations) are getting so bad,” she said. “I’ve never seen it so bad. And I’ve been in town since 1986.”
FRED
Eighty-four-year-old Shirley Rabehl said she’s lost three cats and two dogs during the 19 years she has lived in Havasu.
Most recently, she said her 13-year-old cat, Fred, escaped from her residence after a visiting repairman wasn’t mindful of the door. Fred was killed by a coyote. His remains were later recovered and buried, she said.
“It’s a heart break,” Rabehl said. “I try to take good care of them and it isn’t me. (Coyotes) would walk through my yard before I had a fence.”
Other coyote-fated animals included a black-and-white cat that could open doors by himself; a Yorkshire Terrier, Mitchell, that often ran around on his two front feet; and Mark, a small-mix breed.
Rabehl said she won’t let the misfortune stop her from having small pets.
“I like the small animals because I like having a baby around,” she said.
MAI TAI
In December, Ed Earley’s Siamese cat, Mai Tai, lost his front left leg to a coyote. Earley, of Havasu, said the incident occurred through the chain link fence of a dog run that Mai Tai had stuck his front appendage through, for one reason or another.
“He wasn’t panicked or anything,” Earley said.
Early said he noticed a bit of blood on a tablecloth in the laundry room of his home that day. It was soon discovered Mai Tai was missing his entire front leg and a trip to the veterinarian ensued.
The backyard amputation may have saved Mai Tai’s life because vital vessels sprung back into his flesh. The veterinarian stitched the cat’s wound with an unspecified number of stitches and was amazed by the incident, Earley said.
Mai Tai was administered pain medication for a few days before striking out on his own for the regular location of his food dish.
“For the extent of the injury, it’s amazing,” Earley said. “It just makes me shudder.”
Mai Tai is between 7-10 years of age. He is one of two Siamese cats that Earley adopted from the local shelter years ago.
“I think animals get along better because they don’t have television to tell them ‘oh my God, I only have three legs’” Earley said. “He was running around after the third day.”
On Monday, Earley said Mai Tai is acclimating well to his misfortune and has returned to normal feline activities.
For full disclosure, Earley is a freelance photographer and regularly submits photographs that Today’s News-Herald publishes.
You may contact the reporter at jhanson@havasunews.com.
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