Dear Editor:
I'm writing this in hopes that there is an acute awareness of the dangers of coyotes in the area. I've just lost my best friend - my cat - who was dragged away by coyotes, and I will stop at nothing to ensure that justice is served. This is a regular occurrence in the Vancouver area, I am slowly finding out. I can't tell you how many newspaper clippings/news broadcasts, that I've come across with the title: "Coyote attacked my pet or toddler". When will action be taken to put this to an end? What the hell is wrong with the people making decisions in our municipality? Are they thinking this is something to let slide on by until something really serious happens? They just want to sit on their ass and wait for a kid to be left unattended sitting in the park one day, when along comes Wile E. Coyote to carry off their young?
It absolutely blows my mind that something like this wasn't taken care of a long time ago. It has gotten to the point where coyotes aren't near as timid as they should be in human civilization; proof lies in the video footage being passed around YouTube of these waste-of-space predators trotting off with house pets in broad daylight! Broad daylight, right in town, in a nice little family neighbourhood. That could be your toddler-
We all love our pets, and we know that there are enough dangers out there as it is, to have to worry about another. This is something that can be controlled, but there needs to be an awareness.
My personal opinion would be to hunt and kill all coyotes, but, realizing that there are ridiculous laws against this, I don't believe that will happen. As an animal lover, I believe that animals should be left alone if they do not pose a threat to our society. Coyotes in the Lower Mainland do pose a threat to our society, and the ones we love.
So tell me, when will be the breaking point for some idiots in legislature to figure this one out?
Terena Armstrong, via email
