Your Dog Could Be Gone In A Blink Of An Eye

It’s 6:00 AM, you’re barely caffeinated, and you just want to let the dog out to do their business. You’ve done it a thousand times. You open the door, they trot out, you close the door. Easy, right?

Well, lately “easy” has been turning into “disappeared.”

We’ve seen a heartbreaking spike in dogs going missing in the literal blink of an eye. No digging under the fence, no open gates, just gone. And if you don’t have a fence? It’s even riskier. We hear it all the time: “I just ran in for a second to turn the stove off,” or “I only stepped inside for a minute to use the bathroom.”

The hard truth is that “a second” is all it takes. Our local predators aren’t exactly waiting for an invitation. Between the hawks, owls, and our very permanent resident coyotes, the great outdoors starts right at your deck stairs.

If you think your fenced-in yard is a fortress, think again. Coyotes can clear a six-foot fence like they’re practicing for the Olympics, and they are currently in “overprotective parent” mode. It’s puppy season in the coyote world, which means they are hungrier, more territorial, and significantly more aggressive than usual. They aren’t just looking for a snack; they’re clearing the neighborhood of anything they see as a threat to their own den.

So how do we keep our babies from becoming a statistic? It’s time to be the annoying parent.

Be a shadow. If your dog is outside, you should be too. Even if it’s just standing on the porch with your coffee. Predators are much less likely to make a move if a tall, grumpy human is looming nearby.

• Light it up. If it’s dark, use a high-powered flashlight to sweep the yard before and during your pup’s time outside.

Ditch the tie-outs. A dog on a tether is basically a sitting duck. If they can’t run or hide, they’re defenseless.

Noisemakers. Keep a whistle or even just a set of keys handy to make some some racket if you see glowing eyes in the treeline.

We know it’s a pain. We know you just want to stay in your pajamas. But a few minutes of supervision duty is a whole lot better than the alternative. Let’s keep the wildlife in the woods and our dogs on the couch where they belong.

Stay safe out there!