Loss of Sylvester Stallone’s Dog Teaches Lessons of Coyote Safety Measures
Has your pet even been attacked by wildlife? If so, did the pet survive? Unfortunately, Sylvester Stallone's beloved pooch was not so lucky after a recent coyote encounter. This article originally appeared on Dr. Mahaney’s Pet-Lebrity News column on Pet360.com as: Loss of Sylvester Stallone’s Dog Teaches Lessons of Coyote Safety Measures.
My condolences go out to to Sylvester Stallone for the loss of his beloved dog, Phoebe. Recently, the Huffington Post confirmed that Phoebe has been found, but was killed in an apparent coyote attack.
Stallone reportedly last saw Phoebe on his own Bel Air property before she went missing in early April 2013. Despite Stallone’s efforts to facilitate Phoebe’s return by posting signs stating “LOST DOG the $10,000 Reward if Found Call ______”, Phoebe never returned home to her human family members.
Despite the extensive search, Phoebe was ultimately discovered dead on Stallone’s property after suffering a suspected coyote attack. Stallone's representative stated, "Phoebe's death has been very difficult for the family."
Trauma secondary to coyote attack is a clinical presentation I’ve seen enough times that a series of horrific memories of the suffering felt by my canine and feline patients haunts my psyche.
The chances a pet will survive or make a full recovery are variable, pending the severity of the damage. Unfortunately, death is a likely outcome for many small dogs and cats having incurred the predatory wrath of single or multiple coyotes.
Coyotes are abundant in Los Angeles, especially in canyon or wooded areas. As humans have invaded the natural habitat of coyotes, we’ve forced them into urban territory and created more potential for confrontation with our pets. The threat of coyote attack knows no season, yet fall and winter give the coyote more opportunity to prey on our companion animals during shorter days and longer nights. As we lose our early evenings to darkness, consider the danger potentially facing your pets when daily patterns of exercise and elimination occur in the absence of light.
Here my suggestions to protect yourself, your pet, and your family from coyote attack:
-Keep your pet inside unless a responsible adult is outside overseeing the pet’s care.
-Avoid walking your dog at dawn, dusk or when poor lighting can disguise a predator’s approach.
-Walk your dog on a short lead instead of a retractable lead. Wildlife will be less inclined to approach a person and more likely to attack a dog walking considerable distance from their owner.
-Carry an air-horn to create a startling sound loud enough to scare away an attacking animal. Yelling, waving your arms, or scuffing your feet can also be effective.
-If you live in a known area inhabited by wildlife, fence your property and install motion-activated lights.
-Use secure screens on all doors and windows. In your absence, shut all open entrances to your home.
-Do not leave pet or other foods outside in the yard to reduce attraction by scavengers.
-Refrain from feeding wildlife to minimize potential for their return to your premises.
-Keep trash in sturdy containers with locking lids. Attach trash containers to stable upright objects (fence, etc) to prevent toppling.
-Have heightened awareness of the year-round threat wildlife present to pets and people. The emotional anguish caused by the thought of a beloved pet being snatched by a coyote is something Stallone nor any pet owner should face. Take precautions to reduce the likelihood your pets may be faced with a life-altering trauma resulting from a wild animal attack.
Please feel free free to share your story or precautionary tips.
For further information, see:
California Department of Fish and Game
Coyotebytes
Please stay tuned for breaking celebrity pet news by signing up for for email delivery of my Pet-Lebrity News column (enter your email and press the “SUBSCRIBE” button on the middle-right of this webpage).
Lost puppy photo via Shutterstock
Thank you for reading this article. Your questions and comments are completely welcome (I’ll respond).
Please feel free to communicate with me through Twitter (@PatrickMahaney) and follow my adventures in veterinary medicine by liking Patrick Mahaney: Veterinarian Acupuncture Pain Management for Your Pets on Facebook.
Copyright of this article (2013) is owned by Dr Patrick Mahaney, Veterinarian and Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist. Republishing any portion of this article must first be authorized by Dr Patrick Mahaney. Requests for republishing must be approved by Dr Patrick Mahaney and received in written format.
Has your pet even been attacked by wildlife? If so, did the pet survive? Unfortunately, Sylvester Stallone's beloved pooch was not so lucky after a recent coyote encounter. This article originally appeared on Dr. Mahaney’s Pet-Lebrity News column on Pet360.com as: Loss of Sylvester Stallone’s Dog Teaches Lessons of Coyote Safety Measures.
My condolences go out to to Sylvester Stallone for the loss of his beloved dog, Phoebe. Recently, the Huffington Post confirmed that Phoebe has been found, but was killed in an apparent coyote attack.
Stallone reportedly last saw Phoebe on his own Bel Air property before she went missing in early April 2013. Despite Stallone’s efforts to facilitate Phoebe’s return by posting signs stating “LOST DOG the $10,000 Reward if Found Call ______”, Phoebe never returned home to her human family members.
Despite the extensive search, Phoebe was ultimately discovered dead on Stallone’s property after suffering a suspected coyote attack. Stallone's representative stated, "Phoebe's death has been very difficult for the family."
Trauma secondary to coyote attack is a clinical presentation I’ve seen enough times that a series of horrific memories of the suffering felt by my canine and feline patients haunts my psyche.
The chances a pet will survive or make a full recovery are variable, pending the severity of the damage. Unfortunately, death is a likely outcome for many small dogs and cats having incurred the predatory wrath of single or multiple coyotes.
Coyotes are abundant in Los Angeles, especially in canyon or wooded areas. As humans have invaded the natural habitat of coyotes, we’ve forced them into urban territory and created more potential for confrontation with our pets. The threat of coyote attack knows no season, yet fall and winter give the coyote more opportunity to prey on our companion animals during shorter days and longer nights. As we lose our early evenings to darkness, consider the danger potentially facing your pets when daily patterns of exercise and elimination occur in the absence of light.
Here my suggestions to protect yourself, your pet, and your family from coyote attack:
-Keep your pet inside unless a responsible adult is outside overseeing the pet’s care.
-Avoid walking your dog at dawn, dusk or when poor lighting can disguise a predator’s approach.
-Walk your dog on a short lead instead of a retractable lead. Wildlife will be less inclined to approach a person and more likely to attack a dog walking considerable distance from their owner.
-Carry an air-horn to create a startling sound loud enough to scare away an attacking animal. Yelling, waving your arms, or scuffing your feet can also be effective.
-If you live in a known area inhabited by wildlife, fence your property and install motion-activated lights.
-Use secure screens on all doors and windows. In your absence, shut all open entrances to your home.
-Do not leave pet or other foods outside in the yard to reduce attraction by scavengers.
-Refrain from feeding wildlife to minimize potential for their return to your premises.
-Keep trash in sturdy containers with locking lids. Attach trash containers to stable upright objects (fence, etc) to prevent toppling.
-Have heightened awareness of the year-round threat wildlife present to pets and people. The emotional anguish caused by the thought of a beloved pet being snatched by a coyote is something Stallone nor any pet owner should face. Take precautions to reduce the likelihood your pets may be faced with a life-altering trauma resulting from a wild animal attack.
Please feel free free to share your story or precautionary tips.
For further information, see:
California Department of Fish and Game
Coyotebytes
Please stay tuned for breaking celebrity pet news by signing up for for email delivery of my Pet-Lebrity News column (enter your email and press the “SUBSCRIBE” button on the middle-right of this webpage).
Lost puppy photo via Shutterstock
Thank you for reading this article. Your questions and comments are completely welcome (I’ll respond).
Please feel free to communicate with me through Twitter (@PatrickMahaney) and follow my adventures in veterinary medicine by liking Patrick Mahaney: Veterinarian Acupuncture Pain Management for Your Pets on Facebook.
Copyright of this article (2013) is owned by Dr Patrick Mahaney, Veterinarian and Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist. Republishing any portion of this article must first be authorized by Dr Patrick Mahaney. Requests for republishing must be approved by Dr Patrick Mahaney and received in written format.