FWC meeting discusses coyotes, Broward man recalls beloved dog taken

WILTON MANORS - The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission held a meeting at Wilton Manors City Hall on Tuesday evening to discuss coyotes .

Meanwhile, a Broward man recalled how his beloved Chihuahua was taken by one.

"His name was Big Boy, and he was a very nice, lovable pet. Everywhere I went, he went. I loved him. Ten years, a long time. Like one of my kids," said James Thomas, of his beloved dog.

Early morning on July 23, Thomas let Big Boy out to go to the bathroom, when something horrific happened.

"I heard him bark once and I heard him "err!" And I ran out here, from the porch to here, and I noticed a coyote had him. The coyote had him in his mouth," said Thomas.

Thomas chased after the coyote, but the animal took off with his dog.

Thomas and his family frantically searched, but never found them.

"Terrible. Sickening. If I'm not with family members, it just hurts me," said Thomas.

Thomas says he and his neighbors who live in the Melrose Park area in Fort Lauderdale have seen coyotes more frequently over the last few months.

Residents in Wilton manors have also reported seeing foxes, causing concern for pet owners.

"This beautiful fox — beautiful, just came by walking and just stopped and looked through the window. I was very scared because we always let our dog, Dusty, out," said Clayton Brown, a concerned Wilton Manors resident.

Tuesday night, officials with the FWC held a meeting to discuss coyotes and foxes and how to keep them away.

"Waving your arms, appearing bigger than you are, yelling at the coyote, stomping your feet, making noise with anything you have immediately available to you or accessible to you," said Jayne Johnston, senior wildlife assistance biologist with FWC.

While Thomas says he's glad Wilton Manors is addressing the issue, he says it's too late for Big Boy, and he wants officials in Fort Lauderdale to take action too.

"Something's got to be done about it, because if not, it's going to continue to go on, it's going to get worse," said Thomas.

According to the FWC, there's no population estimate for coyotes in Florida, but they've been spotted in all 67 counties, even on beaches.

To discourage coyotes from your home, the FWC shared their recommendations:

• Secure your trash
• Feed pets inside
• Clean grills
• Pick up fruit on the ground

For more information on coyotes and living with them, go to myFWC.com/coyote .