We had them, also in my section of Southern CA....and in addition to feral cats, domestic kitty was on the menu. There would be coyotes walking through the neighborhood in daylight, most unusual, and the walking path beside my house was one of their hikes to wherever the heck they were going. Friends lost their doxie to a coyote that jumped the fence around their yard and took the dog. The friends were in the yard at the time.

My heart is heavy for those who have lost their beloved pet. Coyotes are around, I have absolutely not doubt...neighbors tell us of sightings around the community. Please, watch your pets. Coyotes are losing their habitat and food sources to humanity and they are only doing what comes instinctively...we are the ones who must take precautions.

It would be so helpful to know in what general area this awful event happened. Was it north or south of 466? On the east or west side? Near Buena Vista or Morse? We don't know your friend, so we don't know where exactly this happened. I am sure that coyote's are everywhere in The Villages, but we would just like to know WHERE this happened, please.

Why? Why do you have to know where it happened? Either you believe her or you don’t, but if you are “sure that Coyote's are everywhere in The Villages”, then “where” it happened is a moot point.

The OP didn’t say that a pack of Coyotes went into someone’s yard. The OP said that she heard about a pack of coyotes crossing a golf course. That’s hard to believe? ...really? Whether you have seen them or not, we DO have Coyotes here, they sometimes do travel/hunt in packs (anything more than 2 is considered a pack), and there are numerous threads about Coyotes and their tracks being spotted on golf courses. So what’s not to believe?

The OP also said that a friend’s dog had been taken by a “fast moving” Coyote while she stood only a few feet away, in her backyard, which borders a golf course. Also not hard to believe. Google “coyote attacks” if you don’t believe this scenario.

You can choose whether or not you want to believe what the OP said. Fair enough. But to combine the two statements into one is either a reading comprehension problem or a deliberate attempt to unfairly to disparage the poster.

Gracie, this question was answered today at 3:15 PM.

Animals in the Villages
 

If we could realize that we really live in a "rural" area, and that we are displacing the natural habitat by our "city" of The Villages, then maybe we could agree to leave things alone. Get rid of all coyotes, hawks, snakes, etc., and we'll all be left with rats and vermine to talk about. Nature has a way of balancing things out if "man" will just leave things alone. Okay, now beat me up !

...

:bigbow: Very much in agreement about leaving God's creatures alone!!! They, as us, are all here for a reason....!!! Deal with it!!!

:agree:

Ddanwrote:
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If we could realize that we really live in a "rural" area, and that we are displacing the natural habitat by our "city" of The Villages, then maybe we could agree to leave things alone. Get rid of all coyotes, hawks, snakes, etc., and we'll all be left with rats and vermine to talk about. Nature has a way of balancing things out if "man" will just leave things alone. Okay, now beat me up !
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:agree: I also agree with ddan. We are displacing the animals' natural habitat and should learn to co-exist with them.

I think the message from the author of this thread is important. We must be cautious around areas that could house coyotes or gators or other hungry critters. Especially those of us with little animals.

Well said, Barefoot.

But Bare, what if they do come right in the yard and kill a pet as they did with WestCoast Sunshines's friend????

We leave our kitties out on the lanai all the time with the door cracked. Everyone I know walks their dogs.

Skybo, I was asking where it happened for the pure sake of knowing where the packs were spotted. Yes, I personally have seen a lone coyote at dawn on Havana Trail but never a pack. I know they are everywhere, and I know that WCS didn't think I was trying to disparage her. She is a sincere person who is only trying to protect all of our pets.

I don't know what if anything we can do about this. Can you carry spray or something like that when you walk your dog???

No-one loves dogs more than I do. I had a Maltese for 16 years. The thought of what happened to that little doggie is horrifying and extremely sad.

But I think it's a highly unusual occurence for this to happen, especially in daylight. I don't think the solution is to advocate trapping and killing all coyotes and gators. We need to co-exist with these animals.

I think people who walk their dogs on leashes in subdivisons are probably safe. Residents who back on open spaces, farms, and golf courses, or who walk near the Preserves, should probably be more viligant. I'm grateful for this thread because I will take even more precautions, as we back on an open space with some bushes. I'm having a motion-detector light installed on our birdcage. I do not let my dogs out in the back yard at night. I will no longer leave any animal in the birdcage unsupervised.

As Jhooman said, we are the stewards of our pets.

Ditto!!!!!!1

Is there anyway to get the word out to other residents who aren't members of this forum about this danger?

Try reaching pet owners through the providers of services such as:
Veterinarians, Pet Shops, Groomers, Pet Hotels.