Valley Residents Wary of Ban on Coyote Trapping

The city of Los Angeles will no longer trap coyotes under any conditions, even using harmless “live-capture” traps, because of complaints by animal rights activists and fears of lawsuits.

In an action that some San Fernando Valley hillside residents said would leave them unprotected from coyotes that kill household pets, the Board of Commissioners of the city Department of Animal Regulations voted Monday to ban all coyote trapping in the city by its employees. The ban protects even animals who bite humans and are suspected of carrying rabies.

The board’s vote ended a one-year period during which animal regulation officers were allowed to use only traps that would capture coyotes without harming them. The humane traps resemble small cages, open at two ends; a coyote entering to take the bait triggers a spring that snaps shut doors over the two ends, trapping it inside without harm.

During the year of the humane trap trial, the number of coyotes taken by the city dropped from 93 to 37 compared to the previous year, according to a Department of Animal Regulation report. At the same time, the number of pets attacked increased from 146 to 218, the report said.

The policy requiring humane traps, which went into force in May, 1992, was pushed by animal rights activists, who complained that the animals could be injured by the traditional rubber-padded steel leg-hold traps, which snap closed on an animal’s leg or paw.

Activists continued lobbying for a complete trapping ban however, arguing that the city should not manage wildlife.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment for 23 years,” exulted Lila Brooks, director of the Hollywood-based California Wildlife Defenders, after Monday’s vote. Her organization urges Southern California cities and counties to use only humane coyote traps or ban trapping altogether.

“Indigenous wildlife has just as much right on this planet as humans do.”

In addition to pressure from activists, the board was motivated by a manpower shortage and by a desire to distance the city as much as possible from the coyote problem, on the theory that if the city takes no action to control the animals, it will not be legally responsible for problems they cause.

A coyote killed a 3-year-old girl in the front yard of her home in a hillside area of Glendale in 1981. Children have survived attacks in other areas, including a 1979 attempt by a coyote to drag a 13- month-old baby out of a yard in Agoura.

If the city continued trying to manage coyote problems, it could be found liable for failing to do enough if a resident sued over a coyote attack on a child or pet, so the whole issue should be left to the state or county governments, board members said.

“All we are saying is give it to the other agencies,” said Board President Rita Hoisch. “It’s out of our hands.”

“I think a total ban would really do the city the most good,” said Commissioner Jaime Velasco, a veterinarian. “My thought is if we leave the coyote alone, they will leave us alone.”

Some Valley homeowners expressed concern that the ban on coyote trapping will leave the city with no tool to effectively deal with coyotes that prey on pets. In the past year, the city has received more than 500 requests from residents for coyote trapping services.

“What is the city or county going to do with the problem?” asked Richard Close, president of the Sherman Oaks Homeowner Assn., who said coyotes have attacked pets in Santa Monica Mountains neighborhoods from Studio City to Woodland Hills.

Recently, an unsigned flyer was circulated in Studio City and Valley Village, warning residents that coyotes have attacked many pets. The flyer said a dog was killed by a coyote in Studio City and urged residents to call city animal regulation officials for more information. The flyer did not identify the pet owner.

Janet, a resident of lower Mandeville Canyon Road in the Topanga area who asked that her last name not be used, said she opposes the ban because it would leave pets belonging to canyon residents like herself without protection from coyotes.

She said her dog Harry was attacked two years ago by a pair of coyotes that grabbed the then-puppy within 10 feet of the family nanny in their yard. The dog survived but suffered a fractured neck and several puncture wounds.

“It was a very bad experience,” she said.

The ban was also criticized by the office of the Los Angeles County Agricultural Commissioner, which provides coyote trapping services free in unincorporated areas and for a fee to residents of incorporated cities.

Deputy Agricultural Commissioner Richard Wightman said he fears that the city’s action will cause the coyote population to increase to dangerous levels.

“Once the city gets out of it and no one is willing to pay for it, it goes by the wayside,” Wightman said. “It has a potential for coming back as a problem.”

He said the county’s fee varies depending on how long it takes to trap the offending coyote.

The board rejected a department recommendation to allow coyote trapping only under specific circumstances, such as when a coyote that has bitten a person is suspected of carrying rabies.

Velasco said the chance of a rabies-carrying coyote attacking a person is so small that no exception was needed.

The board also voted to launch an educational effort to teach residents how to protect their pets from coyotes. Animal control officials said residents can take several precautions:

* Never leave food for coyotes.

* Make sure trash containers are covered.

* Do not leave pet food outdoors.

* Bring small and medium-sized pets in at night.

* Buy large dogs to protect smaller animals.

* Build fences around any yard adjacent to hillside brush or canyons.