On April 17, 2023, a Grapevine resident’s dog was attacked by a bobcat in his backyard. Now, he’s warning other North Texas residents to be cautious of the wild animals.
According to NBC5, the rescue pup, Little Joe, is now very skittish about the outdoors after being attacked in his own yard.
Joe’s owner George Dalton said he was out gardening when he heard his 5-year-old chihuahua mix yelping from inside their nature garden. Thankfully, the pup is OK but suffered from bite marks and scratches.
Bobcat and coyote sightings are not rare in North Texas, according to Frisco’s animal sighting map. The majority of them are not aggressive as long as you keep your distance, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Bobcats and coyotes are scary especially if you have small pets, so what should North Texas residents do if they encounter one? The city of Plano has some advice.
“Bobcat and coyote sightings are not unusual,” says Steve Stoler, Plano’s media relations director, in a tweet. “While seeing one can be a little startling, it’s important to know that those animals have never attacked a single person in Plano’s history.”
According to Stoler, the best prevention for keeping your pets safe include tips like staying with them at all times while outdoors, keeping them on a leash when you’re walking them (while paying attention to your surroundings), removing outdoor food and water sources and getting rid of any possible den spots.
Bobcats, Stoler points out, only hunt animals that are rabbit-sized or smaller. Coyotes, however, will hunt larger prey — but are no threat to healthy adults. Children, he continues, should be taught never to approach or interact with any unknown animal.
“The best course of action for adults to take when seeing a bobcat or coyote is to scare them off by yelling, throwing a small rock at them, spraying them with a high-powered squirt gun or hose or otherwise making them feel uncomfortable so they learn people are to be avoided,” says Stoler, adding, “Our priority is keeping you and your pets safe.”
Last spring in 2022, a Dallas 2-year-old boy who was sitting on his porch was attacked by a coyote. The animal disappeared in the woods, but after a search was conducted, the coyote was shot dead. “I’ve been doing this for about 20 years now, and I haven’t seen anything like this,” urban biologist Brett Johnson told The Dallas Morning News.
In case you missed it, check out Local Profile‘s previous coverage of keeping your dog safe from bobcat attacks.