Tips for Living with Coyotes

The City has been receiving reports of increased coyote sightings. Coyotes will generally avoid humans but are attracted to free meals in the form of pet food, compost, or trash. A coyote who finds food in one yard may learn to search for food in other yards. Use the following tips to avoid attracting coyotes and to help deter coyotes from your neighborhood:

• Do not feed coyotes: this includes removing access to food from yards, leaving pet food outside overnight, composting outside of an enclosed bin, or leaving fallen fruit from a fruit tree on the ground.
• Haze any coyote you see: this can help maintain a coyote’s fear of humans and deter them from neighborhood spaces.  The simplest method of hazing involves being loud and large; stand tall, wave your arms and yell at the coyote, approaching it as necessary until it runs away. You may need to use different tactics such as noisemakers, stomping your feet or spraying the coyote with a hose to get it to leave. In addition, you may want to carry hazing tools with you while you walk your dog. These include a whistle, squirt guns, or sticks or rocks that can be thrown towards the coyote. It is important to continue to haze the coyote until it completely leaves the area.
• Keep your dog on a leash outdoors and away from vegetation where coyotes could hide.  Pick up small pets.
• Report sick, injured or dead coyotes to LA County Animal Control at 310-523-9566.  If you see an aggressive or dangerous coyote, contact LA County Agricultural Commissioner, Weights and Measures Division at 626-575-5462.

 
For additional information, please visit the City’s website.