Shelby Twp family gets coyote visitor at back door
SHELBY TWP., Mich. (FOX 2) - A coyote was spotted roaming near Van Dyke and 24 Mile Road in a neighborhood cul-de-sac.
It jumped the more than 4-foot fence in a Shelby Township neighborhood and went right over to their door wall - begging, almost as if it wanted to come inside.
"We just heard this thud and it was a slam on our glass door," said Allison Gombos.
Allison Gombos and her husband jumped out of bed Thursday morning to find it on their back patio.
"We have new neighbors who just moved in, that have (Siberian) Huskys so we were like is this a Husky or a coyote - I don't know what this is."
A closer look showed this was no dog - it was their first coyote sighting in the neighborhood. They had just let their lab puppy named Captain back inside.
"He's a 5-month-old puppy and he's going to be big, but right now anything could have happened with him," Gombos said.
The coyote hung around for a few minutes - then got scared off by a flood light, hopping back over the fence.
"It almost looked like it wanted to come in - and that's why we did (think it) was a dog," she said.
Last summer FOX 2 spoke with the Department of Natural Resources about coyotes in residential areas after a litter of pups were spotted on Detroit's west side.
"They are not generally aggressive toward humans and really there is nothing to fear," said Holly Vaughn, DNR.
Vaughn says never approach or touch them.
"Then they might feel threatened and they might act in an aggressive fashion," she said.
They keep small prey away - but if you don't want them around, Vaughn says they don't like loud noises.
"Scare them, give them a reason to be fearful of humans and give them a reason move on and move elsewhere," she said.
Allison's post of these up close and personal pictures are making the rounds on social media as she wants to warn pet owners.
"We just want to make sure that the word gets out there to watch your pets," Gombos said. "Watch fur babies make sure that they are safe when they are outside."