Coyotes viciously attack woman's cat in Arlington neighborhood, video shows
ARLINGTON, Texas - Arlington Animal Services is stepping up patrols in a neighborhood where there have been recent reports of coyotes attacking cats. At least one of those attacks was caught on video.
Arlington residents are concerned due to the recent sightings and three kids being attacked by coyotes earlier this year.
Vicki Starr says she did not know what type of animal was responsible for eating three of her outdoor cats in her backyard off Kiowa Drive in Arlington.
"My neighbor called me and said, ‘Vicki, you’ve got a dead cat in your backyard!’" she recalled.
Starr’s 89-year-old mother, who’s lived in Arlington most of her life, says it’s never been an issue.
Now, surveillance video from a neighbor shows a fourth cat of Starr’s being attacked and eaten by coyotes early Tuesday morning.
"And I mean they just grabbed it," Starr said.
Carolyn Hagan, Starr’s neighbor, captured the video of the attack that brought her to tears. She has a message for her neighborhood.
*WARNING: Graphic Content*
"There was two coyotes," she said. "When they run out of cats, what are they going to go after?"
However, coyotes rarely attack humans.
Arlington Animal Services says it will patrol the neighborhood this week, but the city does not typically remove coyotes and urban wildlife unless there’s a public health threat — such as a coyote losing fear of humans.
"Unless they see the video of how brutal and viscous it is, they would probably think a little more about it," Hagan said. "I have a 9-year-old grandson who lives down the street, and it concerns me with them playing."
Back in February, Arlington police and animal services captured a coyote believed to have been responsible for attacking three children at Parkway Central Park, a mile-and-a-half away from Starr’s neighborhood.
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Arlington Animal Services said it believes it got the right coyote but added that it can't be 100% sure.
"What truly concerns me is the children that play in the neighborhood," Starr said. "Halloween’s coming up, and they trick-or-treat at night."
Surveillance video from Wednesday shows coyotes once again in the neighborhood.
Starr says she’ll work to keep a close eye on her pets and hope for the best.
"I’m even thinking about going and, this sounds stupid, but going and getting scarecrows," she said. "They’ll see it and stop and back away."
Arlington Animal Services says people should not leave out food and water that might invite coyotes. It asks anyone who sees a coyote to report it online to the city.