KANSAS CITY, Kan. (WDAF) — A family pet is killed in the Piper community of Kansas City, Kansas, putting neighbors on high alert. They say it’s not the only pet death in recent weeks.
One family near 115th Street and Donahoo Road has a warning for other families after their pet was attacked and “ripped to shreds” by what they believe was a large, wild animal.
“Just the whole attack, it was just devastating,” said dog owner Amy Pendleton.
Pendleton says her dog, Chavez, was a part of their family for 12 years. He was torn from their family Monday evening.
She said they let him out to play in a fenced-in backyard that backs up to a wooded area. A short time later, they came out to find his snout stuck in the fence and his body gone.
“It’s graphic, but the only way to say is he was eaten down to the bone,” Pendleton said. “It was a picture of his spine, and it was all bone.”
Neighbors say there have been multiple attacks on pets along 115th Street from Donahoo to Leavenworth Road.
They said recently, a young calf was killed. Neighbors believe a wild animal is doing the killing, possibly a mountain lion.
Wildlife Biologist Matt Peek’s first impression is a pack of coyotes did this.
“We don’t have any evidence that there’s a mountain lion in that area,” Peek said.
“This dog is on the bigger side of what you would usually see, but if there’s a pack, you could see four to six of them. In fact, that is the most likely scenario in this case,” Peek said.
Peek says if you have a small or medium size dog, it’s smart to stay with them while outside right now.
Pendleton says her dog weighed more than 50 pounds. She’s concerned for the children in the neighborhood.
“Keep a lookout,” she said. “I would say for sure watch your pets, but definitely watch your children as well.”
Peek says it’s unlikely that they’re interested in people. Coyotes would be more territorial toward other dogs.
Wildlife biologists will continue to investigate.
“This was a vicious attack, so we still have a big problem,” Pendleton said.
Kansas Wildlife and Parks tells FOX4 that hunting coyotes is against city and county ordinances.
