Mass. woman says a coyote killed her dog

"Laura Messing let both of her dogs out unattended, and the coyote took off with her 10-month-old dog, who was later found on the other side of a four-foot fence, according to Burlington police. The dog, named Dougal, had no visible injuries from the attack but died from a broken neck. Messing's 14-year-old dog, Daisy, was unharmed but struggled to cope without the other dog for a while, she said."

"Messing - whose story was first reported by NBC10 Boston - now wants other "pet owners to know that there is no fence you can build that is tall enough to keep a coyote out," she told Boston.com. Messing has lived in her Burlington home for 15 years, which, she said, is nearby to an area frequented by coyotes and she believes the coyote population has increased "a lot." When it snows, she said there are fresh coyote tracks near her porch every morning."

"After discussing the incident with environmental police, Burlington police determined there was no threat to public safety. Messing also spoke to Massachusetts Environmental Police about the incident but they told her nothing can be done unless a human is impacted. "I can't believe that nothing can be done," she said. While she wishes for a humane solution, she said she has "no ill will towards coyotes" unless they come into people's yards."

A Burlington resident lost her 10-month-old dog, Dougal, to a nighttime coyote attack after letting both dogs out unattended; Dougal was later found beyond a four-foot fence and died of a broken neck. The older dog, Daisy, was physically unharmed but emotionally affected. Burlington and Massachusetts environmental police determined there was no threat to public safety and said no action would be taken unless a human is impacted. The resident reported frequent coyote activity near her home, warned that typical fences may not stop coyotes, and expressed a wish for humane solutions while having no ill will toward coyotes.

Read at Boston.com