PLUM ISLAND — Annapolis Way residents Paul and Laura Daubitz's cat Sammie has been missing since Friday.
As the days since they last saw their 4-year-old coon cat go by, it is becoming increasingly apparent to the Daubitzes that Sammie may have been killed by a coyote.
Paul Daubitz said he was talking to a neighbor two days after his cat didn't return home and was told that coyotes were living behind her house. He went behind her house to find what looked like animal paths and feces.
"If there are coyotes running around, Plum Island is very dense," Paul Daubitz said. "If we have a lair here, this is not acceptable."
Newbury police Chief Michael Reilly said his department is treating the matter as if there were an actual coyote sighting. But as of yesterday, their presence hadn't been confirmed.
"We're going under the assumption that they are in the area," Reilly said.
So far, Reilly has contacted the department's animal control officer and the state environmental police to come up with a procedure to capture and humanely remove any coyotes, if possible. A link to the state's Department of Fisheries and Wildlife detailing actions if one comes in contact with coyotes has been added to the Police Department's website.
Eastern coyotes resemble a medium-sized dog in size and shape, but have denser fur and pointy ears. Females typically weigh between 33 and 40 pounds while males range between 34 and 47 pounds. Coyotes are known to rummage through garbage, so people should make sure trash cans are tightly closed. Residents should never feed them and shouldn't leave food for other animals in their backyards, according to the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife.
George Finigan, a Bryn Mawr Way resident, said he saw a coyote about a month ago running across the Plum Island marsh during low tide. More recently, he and his family have heard noises outside their house at night that sounded like something being attacked.
Finigan said the thought of coyotes around his area gives him pause considering he has two dogs. One of them weighs around 45 pounds and would probably be too big a target for coyotes. But his smaller dog, a roughly 14-pound Westie, could be in trouble.
"It would make a good meal for a coyote," Finigan said.
If there are coyotes on Newbury's section of Plum Island, they're likely across the border in Newburyport, too.
While Newburyport police Lt. Rick Siemasko said his department hasn't received any recent reports of coyotes, he knows the predators are out there.
"I'm sure they don't know where the town line is," Siemasko said.
With a large number of houses on a relatively small strip of land, it may be only a matter of time before a resident or visitor comes face-to-face with the dog-like creatures.
In recent years, coyotes have been spotted in multiple Greater Newburyport communities. Almost two years ago in Georgetown, one resident claimed to have seen a coyote come on to his porch and snatch his cat with its jaws. Around the same time, Haverhill police issued a warning to those walking their dogs after a Groveland woman said a pack of coyotes cornered her and her four dogs while walking on Salem Street.
To access the Newbury Police Department's link on living with coyotes, visit: www.newburypolicedept.com/Links.html and click "Local Coyote Issues."
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