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Jul 20, 2009 7:37 pm US/Central
Bobcat Warning Issued For Southlake Pet Owners
SOUTHLAKE (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
Are you missing a dog or cat, or have you seen a missing poster placed out lately for a family pet? Well, authorities say some missing pets may have ended up as dinner for a wild animal.
Right now North Texas is experiencing drought conditions and that has bobcats and other wild animals honing in on small household pets. Concerned residents and officials in the city of Southlake want to spread the word that your small pets could be at risk.
Several missing animals have been reported in the Montecello subdivision. Officials say pet owners in other North Texas cities close to green belt areas or wooded lots should also take precautions.
Southlake resident Jim Dawson found out the hard way that small pets are safer indoors. "In this case two of the cats came [home], but Bruno, the biggest cat was a no show," he said of his pets.
Dawson not only lost his beloved Bruno, but also Bruno's mother Jennifer. Bruno went missing Friday and never returned home to play with the two other household cats, Dot and Missy. The cat's remains were later found by a neighbor. "The neighbor comes over and he says, hey I hate to tell you this, but we found what was left of Bruno," explained Dawson.
The news was a double whammy for Dawson and his wife. Now they had lost Bruno, a pet they'd had for 11 years, after already losing another cat to a bobcat.
In the past six weeks several neighbors have reported missing dogs and cats. To try and combat the problem their home owner's association even set out traps.
Dawson wants to get the word out to spare others the pain he and his wife have experienced. "There have been five pets, cats killed here in Southlake in a 10 or 15 house radius."
Meanwhile Sgt. Mike Bedrich with the Southlake Police Department confirms the reports and adds, "We have bobcats in Southlake, we have coyotes, we have deer, we have feral hogs."
The City of Southlake is also sounding a warning for all parents and pet owners, to be on the lookout for the big cats. Residents are urged to take precautions - like keeping small pets indoors at night, especially during current drought conditions and keeping trap doors closed from dusk to dawn.
"Remove dog food; remove cat food from outside at night. Also when they're walking their cats and dogs at night keep them on leashes," advised Sgt. Bedrich.
Dawson wishes he'd known that five neighbors on his street had lost small pets, and that the bobcats were on the prowl, before losing his cats. Now neighbors are being advised to communicate their losses.
Dawson believes communication would have saved his cats. He issued this warning to neighbors, "Be aware that if they have cats that not necessarily venture off their property, but just go outside, they could be a victim of the bobcat."
There have also been reports about aggressive bobcat and wild animal behavior in Grapevine, Roanoke, Trophy Club and Keller.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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