An animal control officer in a Massachusetts town shot and killed a dog after mistaking it for a coyote, leaving its owner furious, but local police say it was a sad mix-up.
Northbridge, Mass., Police Chief Timothy Lovely said the shooting occurred Tuesday after police responded to a report of a coyote in the backyard of a residence.
When animal control officers went into the woods to look for the coyote, they believed the animal was in a threatening position and shot it.
Officers then examined the animal further and found it had a flea collar, indicating it was a domestic dog and not a coyote, Lovely said. Authorities later identified the dog's owner.
The dog's owner, Kirk Rumford of Northbridge, said the dog was a husky named Odin and was less than a year old.
Rumford said he feels non-lethal methods may have been used and that his dog does not resemble a coyote.
“If I had used steroids, my dog would have been the most gorgeous coyote ever,” Rumford said. “It's amazing compared to that. Look at the picture of my dog with a coyote in Massachusetts. My dog was beautiful. If anything, he looked more like a wolf, and there are wolves in Massachusetts.” No.”
Rumford said she has received an outpouring of support from the community and hopes her story will help prevent further encounters between dogs and authorities.
He described Odin as a “lovable clumsy kid” who was “fist-headed,” had an affectionate temperament, and loved playing with other dogs.
Lovely said it was natural for animal control officers to mistake the dog for a coyote, and the officer would not face disciplinary action. Dog owners can prevent this type of mix-up by keeping their dogs safe, Lovely said.
“We have leash laws. At the end of the day, if you can keep a fenced area safe, you can keep an eye on your dog and do whatever you can to keep your dog in the yard.” Please do it your way,” Lovely said. “Also, if your dog tends to wander in the woods, you'll definitely want to put a marker on him for identification.”
The shooting comes amid an increase in interactions between people and coyotes in Massachusetts and other parts of the country.
The town of Nahant is the first in the state to sign a contract with the federal government to exterminate coyotes after residents say they are killing pets and posing a dangerous nuisance.
Some scientists say coyotes in eastern states are beginning to show increasingly wolf-like characteristics as they gain positions closer to the top of the food chain. They are also difficult to control.
Remington Mohr, assistant professor of natural resources at the University of New Hampshire. study A paper published this month in the journal Ecography said hunting may not be reducing coyote abundance and may actually be contributing to its increase.
“Intensive coyote removal obviously has the potential to reduce populations in the short term, but removal may also result in younger coyote populations with higher reproductive and immigration rates,” Mol said. said in a statement.
Northbridge, a town of about 16,000 people about 49 miles west of Boston, has also had a history of active human-coyote interactions, LaBrie said.
Lovely said the animal control officer who shot the dog was a veteran police officer who had many encounters with coyotes over the years.
“We're definitely seeing a gradual increase in coyote calls,” Lovely said. “I don't know what caused it.”
