Karen of the BoulevardNeighbors Yahoo! Group sent a note about her early morning encounter with two coyotes:
This morning about 6:50am two coyotes were roaming on the 100 block of Funston greenway while a neighbor and I were walking our dogs.
Her dog tried to chase them off and he and the two coyotes went across PPB. One coyote was hit by a car and the other is unaccounted for. Two SFPD cars responded and confirmed we were dealing with coyotes.
Both dogs are home safe but please be warned that there really are coyotes out there, perhaps going to and from either Mt. Lake Park (where they have also been sighted) or the Presidio to sleep in the daylight hours.
Keep your eyes open out there and if you’re with your dog in that area, be sure they’re on a leash.
Sarah B.
Why would this woman allow her dog to chase the coyotes? I realize they can be dangerous but it didn’t have to result in one of them getting hit by a car. They were probably just as scared of us and may have just ran back in to the Presidio.
@Lisa – Most likely the dog was not on leash so the chase was not something the owner could control.
Sarah B.
I’ve seen the coyotes in Golden Gate Park many times. The ones in Mountain Lake have a den on the Presidio Golf Course.
Is the coyote dead? Lucky for the owner of the dog it was a coyote and not another dog it chased on to the street. The coyotes were probably making there way home when they got chased dog whose owner should have had it on a leash. Now there’s a lonely and anxious coyote wandering the neighborhood wondering where it’s partner is. Quite sad, really sad.
Yes, this is a VERY SAD story! Please control your animals, folks, as wild animals really would rather avoid us. So sad the one coyote got hit by a car, and one lonely one is left. I hate stories like this.
@Sarah, yes but i would say that if that person’s dog was off-leash, it should’ve been under voice control. If you can’t keep your dog from chasing other animals, you shouldn’t have it off leash. Glad you mentioned leashing in your post.
agreed. better for all involved if dogs do not chase wild animals.
dogs should be on a leash at all times except for in designated, fenced off-leash areas.
FWIW I have a dog.
Hi all – I didn’t post the story to call attention to the dog owners. I am sure they’re just as upset about what happened; probably more since they lived it. I posted it so people would be aware of coyotes being in the area, so let’s lay off criticizing the dog owners. I’m sure they’re dealing with enough about the incident. Thanks
Sarah B.
@Sarah, noted however I would say that responsible dog ownership IS a part of this story, whether you intended it to be or not. The coyote would not be dead, its partner alone and the owners not upset,as you say, if the dog was simply leashed. I don’t write this just to criticize someone, just pointing out what to me, seems like an important part of the story. Okay, I’ll shut up now. 🙂
Quick – better post something about ADA lawsuits to distract us!!! 🙂
we’ve been seeing pairs and singles in the early morning house along battery caulfield more and more often. it used to be that i would only see coyotes if i happened to be out around 2am, now it’s more like 6am to 9am. they are not that shy about humans or cars. i hope people realize they are a blessing to our semi-wild lands even for the simple reason of rat and ground squirrel population control.
yes dogs should be under owner’s responsibilty, as much as i love dogs and their freedom to play, the presidio also is trying to protect the endangered quail and it could have easily been dogs chasing (and catching) a more ‘defenseless’ animal. the dogs could also have been the ones to be hit and my heart goes out to the owners.
sad story.
I would like to ask people to please stop walking their dogs off the leash. There is a dog on my block that actually killed another dog and the owner basically got away with it.
Also in addition to the giant racoons, there’s also a coyote den behind the Legion of Honor so careful driving up there at night.
I’ve seen foxes on PPB in the early mornings, but never a Coyote. Do you think they mistaken a fox for a Coyote?
I know it’s kind of tangential to the actual post – but if you’re interested in commenting on the GGNRA’s proposed dog leash plan you can do so here: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectId=11759
It’s open for public comment RIGHT NOW!
I’m personally for tightening leash laws so I support the current proposal (actually, I’d take their proposal even farther and ONLY allow dogs off leash in FENCED areas – but this plan is a good compromise).
But whatever your position, you can comment on the URL above.
Just another case of an irresponsible dog owner letting their dog run loose. If a dog is not on a leash it is not under control.
I keep waiting for one of these coyotes to bite somebody’s kid.
I’ve seen coyotes (not foxes; I know the difference) at Funston and Clement, PPB and California, PPB and Lake, etc. off and on for years. Just one at a sighting, but they’re around. Unless they’re rabid, or a female felt her young were threatened, they wouldn’t be interested in attacking people. For that matter, they’d probably avoid a dog with a human.
I am the Karen who witnessed the event. First off, all the dogs in this event were on leashes. The leash on the large dog that chased the coyotes snapped and he ran after them. He’s big. My dog is never outside without a leash and I am a strong supporter of leash all the time laws. So please watch what you say about people you don’t know.
These were coyotes not foxes.
Believe me, I hate this story as much as anyone who is posting on this board because not only did I watch it, I saw the body of the coyote removed from PPB by a cop who was probably equally upset by it.
I also now have a 16 lb dog who is exhibiting behavior issues from having been scared out of her wits by the whole event – even though I thought I had rushed her inside quickly before trying to help my neighbor. Hopefully this will go away in a day or two.
My reason for circulating this info was to alert people to take care out there.
I didn’t see the collision, but I happened to be driving by in the southbound direction when I saw two cop cars that were stopped in the inside northbound lane and an unmistakable large pile of entrails in between with the officers standing looking at them. There was no body. To the side of the southbound lane on the greeway I saw a small ground of people with a golden lab-type dog, leashed, and wagging its tail quite vigorously, and looking very alert. I figured it had been an animal road kill, but the people didn’t look distraught so I guessed it wasn’t their animal. Now I know what it was, and it makes me all the more sad to learn it was a coyote. How cool is it that there are coyotes in SF? Bummer, now there’s one less.
The leash snapped? I’ve never heard of that happening. Very sad for the poor coyotes.
Leave the coyotes alone and enjoy them. I don’t understand the disconnect, how can we as human beings not want to watch, observe, learn, protect………?
Take a moment in your day and think about this, a coyote in S.f.? What a treat……..let’s all pitch in and help keep the moment. They are here to teach YOU something.
The dog who snapped the leash is 70 pound american terrier, and the woman holding that leash was just dog sitting. I support leash all the time for dogs over a certain pound limit, especially the ones prone to being aggressive.
This IS about leashes, not coyotes. Why is her dog more important than the coyote? Dogs are animals first and pets second. She should be ashamed.
I’ve seen a coyote in Golden Gate Park about 3 times. Most times it was on JFK Drive in the evening. I forget how far west: I drove the whole length of the park, frequently. More west than eat.
The more unusual, I saw one on Fulton Street, around the sidewalk on the park side. Sorry I don’t know what avenue. I’ll say in the 20’s.