READING, MASS. (WHDH) - Reading police are urging residents to be vigilant after they say a dog was most likely killed by a coyote earlier this week.
An owner searching for their pet in the Town Forest found their dog dead and a coyote standing nearby, according to police.
“We cannot confirm that the dog was killed by the coyote, although this seems to be a reasonable conclusion,” police wrote on Facebook.
Police are encouraging dog owners to keep their dogs on a leash, keep small pets close, avoid leaving food outside for their pets and do not use bird feeders as these could attract unwanted animals.
“We are very fortunate to have a large and diverse wildlife population in Reading that has adapted to live among us,” the police department wrote. “But this brings certain increased risks when humans and animals live in such close proximity.”
Dog owners in town are well aware of the danger.
“Even when I’m walking the dogs at night, they’ll just walk into the middle of the stare at us, coyotes, four at a time, (and) we have to get a strobe light and make sure we (scare) them off. It’s scary,” said Danielle McHugh.
Anyone who sees a wild animal who appears aggressive or looks ill is asked to call Reading police.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)