Coyote attack on Siesta Key

Local officials raise concerns about growing dangers

By Ned Steele

Note: This article contains graphic descriptions. Reader discretion is advised.

In light of the recent attack and brutal death of a Siesta Key resident’s beloved small dog, pressure is growing on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to crack down on the wild coyotes roaming the Key and endangering pets.

The Siesta Key Association will hold a community meeting at St. Boniface Episcopal Church on Oct. 3 at 4:30 p.m. where FWC representatives will attend and draw attention to the issue. FWC is also launching an educational campaign with Sarasota County.

However, FWC has no plans to relocate or kill coyotes, and that has raised concerns among local leaders and residents. Rather, FWC takes other steps before relocation.

“This is becoming a serious and potentially dangerous situation,” County Commissioner Mark Smith said after being informed of the latest attack.

Late in the evening of Sept. 12, Higel Avenue resident Michael Hancock watched in horror as two coyotes snatched Coco, his 15-pound, 8-inch-tall Morkie, from his front yard.

“I heard a scream and saw her take off,” Hancock recalled. “At first I thought she was chasing a mouse.”

But Coco wasn’t chasing a mouse. “I saw something shake her violently,” Hancock continued. “And when I ran up, all I could see was Coco’s collar on the ground.”

The animals ran away with Coco in their grasp, passing her back and forth between them. Hancock pursued him in his car in the dark and eventually caught up with the coyotes at the end of the block.

The coyotes fled, leaving Coco’s bloody body on the ground. “I had to check it out,” Hancock said. “The cutest little dog. I couldn’t imagine something like this would happen.”

Hancock said he and most of his neighbors were completely unaware that coyotes – probably hundreds of them – roamed their Siesta Key neighborhoods.

Commissioner Smith, who has spoken out on the issue at county meetings, is now warning that even worse could happen if the FWC doesn’t act. He is calling on the FWC to begin a program to relocate coyotes from the island.

Neighbors have asked him privately if they could shoot coyotes that threaten their pets or homes. “Add to that bars closing at 2 a.m. and patrons on their way back, and you’re going to have a disaster,” Smith said.

“Before anyone gets hurt or worse, we need to relocate the coyotes. This cannot continue. It will reach the point where it explodes. I’m very worried about people with guns and someone getting killed. It needs to be taken care of immediately. Kill those coyotes like we do alligators.”

Smith criticized the FWC for viewing coyotes as protected creatures rather than a threat like alligators. “It’s crazy. There are wild dogs running around, and FWC is handing out pamphlets that say, “You must learn to live with them.”

FWC said through a spokesperson that it “currently has no plans to kill or remove coyotes from Siesta Key.”

FWC confirmed that it has provided Sarasota County Parks staff with educational materials to distribute throughout the community and is “raising awareness of ways to prevent conflicts with coyotes” through social media.

Catherine Luckner, president of the Siesta Key Association, said FWC will send two representatives to at least two community meetings – at least one for residents and one for winter visitors – to address the issue. Details were still pending at the time of going to press.

When asked when coyote removal is permitted, the agency’s Lakeland office responded, “Removal options are available if the coyote(s) is exhibiting nuisance behavior in accordance with our nuisance rules (presence is not an indicator that the coyote is a nuisance.” “Non-lethal options are recommended before exploring lethal or trapping options.”

The nuisance rules state: “Capturing and relocating or killing native wildlife should be a last resort and only when all other proactive measures have failed and an animal meets the nuisance criteria.”

There are three nuisance criteria: threat to public safety, property damage or nuisance to a building.

Hancock reported the attack on Coco to the FWC and was visited by an FWC officer. She was “very nice,” he said, “but I walked away feeling like nothing was going to be done.” She said they were trying to educate residents about living with coyotes. They feel like these things are protected and there’s nothing they can do.”

“There should be street signs on every street saying: Do not walk your dog at night,” Hancock said.

The coyotes “are getting bolder,” Smith said. The commissioner said he first learned of the issue in 2021 and was “shocked.”

“Now it’s commonplace,” he said.

SKA’s Luckner said it’s believed the animal’s influx has led to more breeding and “their spring pups are learning to hunt.”

Smith noted that he has seen fewer and fewer traffic fatalities along Midnight Pass Road in recent months. He suspected that coyotes were increasingly feeding on opossums, raccoons, squirrels and other small animals.

He further speculated that it was likely that the first coyotes migrated onto the Key from one of the bridges, since coyotes are not typically native to barrier islands.

Preventive measures to protect your pet

Here are recommendations from Fish and Wildlife Conservation for dealing with the coyote threat to Siesta Key: (Note: Coyotes are not known to attack humans. It is believed that the last time a human was killed by a coyote was in California in 1981. Coyotes hunt small animals.)

1. Avoid attracting coyotes and other wildlife to your yard by removing or attaching attractants – secure your trash, feed pets in it, clean grills, and collect fallen fruit or bird seed from the yard. Never feed coyotes or other wildlife. Close all crawlspaces under porches and sheds to prevent coyotes and other wildlife from resting or nesting there. Encourage your neighbors to do the same. Coyotes and other wildlife that view places where humans live as a place where they can easily find food may begin to lose their natural fear of humans.
2. Avoid interactions with pets – keep cats indoors and keep dogs on a short leash. Use caution when walking with pets in wooded areas or near thick foliage where coyotes might hide or rest, especially at night, at dusk and dawn. If pets are kept in a fenced area, the fence should be high enough (about 6 feet) to deter coyotes and other wildlife from jumping over it. Also, check the underside of the fence regularly to ensure coyotes and other wildlife cannot crawl under it. It is also advisable to monitor pets in fenced yards.
3. Coyotes usually try to avoid people. If a coyote approaches or is near you, you can stun the coyote to encourage it to move on. Making noise, waving your arms, and using deterrents such as spraying water from a powerful hose can encourage a coyote to leave the area. Learn more about hazing coyotes here: Video on hazing coyotes:

For more tips and information about coyotes, visit MyFWC.com/Coyote. For information on pet safety around wildlife, see

Coyote FAQs can be found here:

Catherine Luckner, president of the Siesta Key Association, added the following suggestions:

• Walk dogs during the day. Avoid dusk or night. Walk your dog with a neighbor or friend
• Wear loud, easily accessible noisemakers and use them to create loud, firework-like noises
• “Know that your own yard is not safe… and take precautions with short, tight leashes, bright lights and noise makers.”