I wanted to share a letter I received a few days ago. Hopefully it can save a dog or two….maybe your dog.
Hi Wayne,
I wanted to let you know some sad news about Tiki and also hope you can pass this along to your clients so that they can protect their pets. Tiki was attacked a week ago tonight (12/21/10) by what we believe was a pack of coyotes. It was our fault to leave him outside unattended after dark. Please don’t lecture me, because I have beat myself up a thousand times over the past 7 days and if I could do it over I would. I listened to my neighbor who said coyotes would not attack a large dog, but he was dead wrong.
There is also precious little information on the internet about coyotes attacking large dogs, it’s mostly about small dogs. So please tell all of your clients to never let them out unattended around dawn and also dusk, no matter what size dog they have. Sadly, I know now that early evening, especially in winter is when packs of coyotes prowl.
You were such an important part of Tiki’s life— he was unmanageable until we met you. He had gotten to be such a good dog, too, in the last year and a half. He was so sweet and of course depended on us and we let him down and we couldn’t feel worse. He was still alive when we found him and rushed him to the pet emergency clinic downtown. They brought him back when he slipped away with CPR a total of 3 times. I was hoping against hope because they said less than 6% of dogs even respond to CPR, but the injuries were too much for him and he slipped away. We are heartbroken. I’m putting our stupidity out there in hopes that it will save another dog or a small child. Our 12 year old Jake weighs as much as Tiki did— 85 pounds.
So please spread the word—maybe Tiki’s death won’t be in vain. Thanks again for all you did to help us enjoy Tiki for the short time we had him. He was one of a kind and everyone loved him.
-
L. S. in Kingston Springs, Tn.
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Safety for your dog is being aware of potential dangers. I have had clients where their small dog was carried off by a red tail hawk while in their own backyard. There is also dogs being stolen from their own yard. Nowadays, I wouldn’t let my best friend out of my sight.
I.D. tags and microchips don’t prevent these types of risks, and like little kids with furry coats they need us to watch after them. The days of letting a dog outside in a fenced yard and to later check up on them are over. In Raleigh it is illegal to tie out a dog for 3 hours in a 24 hour period. Just last night there was a Rottweiler that broke the lead from home and was struck by a car. Bottom line, please stay with your dog while they are outdoors.
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