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Coyotes spotted in LaPlace neighborhood

Residents estimate there's loosely a dozen or so around the area.

LAPLACE -- We've been hearing a lot about coyote sightings this summer, and in LaPlace one sighting ended in a man's dog being attacked.

"The last one I saw was yesterday," Clinton Bourgeois said.

They're not small coyotes, the LaPlace resident is concerned about.

"It came in the yard from this side," he said.

Last Saturday, Bourgeois' son was in town, and he brought his dog Lulu with him, a mixed breed weighing about 20 pounds, and the poor thing got nipped by a rather large coyote.

"We have a lot of kids here in the community and we have a lot of folks that have pets and animals and some elderly folks."

And the concern is, what if a coyote attacks people? Bourgeois has contacted local officials, and he says, they're looking into a trapper to come out.

One neighbor thinks coyotes have been eating pets. She thinks a cat that recently disappeared may have fallen prey to one. Residents estimate there's loosely a dozen or so around the area. It's possible a den may be near the neighborhood around Sleepy Redwood, which has a few wooded spots.

"It's an animal, and animals will protect themselves."

In the meantime, Bourgeois wants everyone to beware. Wildlife officials advise that you get your dog checked out if it gets bitten, and not to leave out food, or garbage that may attract coyotes once they're known in the area.

Jacqueline Quynh can be rerached at jquynh@wwltv.com.

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