- April 23, 2024
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https://youtu.be/jWSzcuZkKJ0
EAST COUNTY — Since his cat, Roxie, disappeared Jan. 27, Braden Woods homeowner Sebastian McGarigle and his ex-wife, Diane Goodman, have stapled “lost cat” signs to poles and trees throughout the neighborhood.
In response, neighbors have called McGarigle with tips, theories and horror stories and encouraged him to marshal a campaign to both increase awareness of — and extinguish — a threat that he believes ended his cat’s life: coyotes.
“Through my research and talking to people, I learned coyotes are taking over,” said McGarigle, a retired mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service who bought a home in Braden Woods in 1987. “When coyotes lose their prey or whatever they eat naturally, they come over here and eat what’s available, and that’s cats and dogs. These pets are vanishing without a trace. It’s pretty sad, actually.”
Since 2011, the Manatee County website has dedicated a page to coyotes; it is titled, “Coyotes are here to stay in Manatee County.” It provides tips about how to keep the animals away and history about how they came to the area.
“The problem comes when people start leaving food outside their homes, or leave trash available or allow their cats and dogs to roam the neighborhood. Then, we are providing easy meals to wild coyotes, inviting them into our areas and encouraging them to lose their natural fear of humans,” states Marina D‘Abreau, the Manatee County Agriculture and Extension service manager, on the site.
McGarigle wishes he knew.
“I was very, very affected by the loss of my cat,” said McGarigle, who let his cat outside at midnight Jan. 27, while he was on the phone. “I knew I was attached to her, but (long pause) my cat was my little buddy. I guess I let the cat down by being ignorant, by not knowing about this coyote problem.”
McGarigle and Goodman, who remain close friends and share a love for Roxie, a black cat with a white belly, vow to distribute fliers with copy that quotes from the county website page and provides a link to the site, but they say high printing costs inhibit their effort to reach the 500-plus homes in Braden Woods.
Wildlife is especially part of the territory in Braden Woods, a community known for nature and one-acre-plus lots that once directed its property management company, All Florida Services, to hire a trapper to capture aggressive alligators.
The unfenced backyard to McGarigle’s home in Braden Woods, in the 9000 block of 64th Avenue East, blends into his neighbors’ yards like a forest, with dense brush and tall trees.
Linda Bishop, with All Florida Services, says her company has not been contacted with complaints regarding coyotes in Braden Woods.
As such, the Braden Woods homeowners association board has no formal policy about coyotes, but Bishop said individual homeowners can set up traps on their own property.
“We will investigate the concerns and send out an email to see if others are having similar problems before taking any action,” Bishop said.
Jeff Webb, who lives two doors away from McGarigle on 64th Avenue East, says he often sees a pack of four coyotes roaming his front yard late at night. He said the sightings have been more frequent lately, once or twice per month for the last six months.
During that same time, Webb says he has lost two cats.
McGarigle says a neighbor said her cat survived a coyote attack.
“Now we know, and I want others to know to keep their pets inside,” McGarigle said. To be aware of their little children. The coyotes are taking over.”
Added Goodman: “It’s too late for little Roxie. But maybe we can save other people’s pets.”
Coyote precautions
The Animal Services department of Manatee County offers these tips to prevent coyotes from invading neighborhoods:
• Never leave food or trash outside.
• Clear brush and dense weeds from around dwellings.
• Protect children, pets and livestock.
• Avoid walking dogs during dawn.
• Use negative reinforcement, make loud noises, throw rocks, or spray with a garden hose.
Contact Josh Siegel at [email protected].
