MiddletownJournal.com

A wily coyote stealthily killed two small dogs within the last week and a half at Pine Hill Lakes Park, and Mason said everyone should be on the lookout.

Peggy Nesbit, whose home overlooks the park on Kings Mills Road, said her neighbors' Maltese Boogie and a Maltese-Poodle mix named Cyrus were dragged from their yards and killed by a coyote last week.

"They let them out at night and that was it," she said. "We didn't hear a thing. We found the carcasses on the path in the park."

City Manager Eric Hansen said they are aware of the problem and it isn't isolated at Pine Hill. There have been other coyote sightings on Mason-Montgomery Road and U.S. 42. He said they called the state's wildlife agency and they were told because of the drought this summer, the coyote's natural food sources — rabbits and other rodents — have dried up, so they are forced to find other sources.

Solving the problem isn't easy. Setting traps for coyotes is dangerous, Hansen said, because they aren't "coyote specific", so other animals could be harmed. He said they are talking to other communities to see how they are handling the situation.

"It's a difficult problem, taking care of the problem without making it worse or endangering others, that's the balancing act we're trying to get into balance," he said. "We're aware of it, we're talking to others and trying to find the safest way to deal with the issue."

Nesbit said she just wanted to make sure people know the coyotes are on the prowl.

"People are always walking dogs on leashes at dusk and there are always people in the park until dark," she said. "And their children will be 20 yards in front of them and coyotes do attack children. The public needs to be cautious."

Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4525 or dcallahan@coxohio.com.