A coyote grabbed Donald Palmer's 11-pound Shih Tzu on Peters Road north of Westlake Park on a Sunday morning walk while the dog was on a leash.

Palmer pulled his dog free. The dog has since recovered.

"I no longer feel it safe to walk our dog for the first time in my 54 years of calling Lake Oswego my home," Palmer wrote in a letter to the editor published in the Lake Oswego Review on July 26.

Palmer's veterinarian told him to report the attack to Clackamas County animal control, he wrote, because a coyote bold enough to go after a leashed pet needs to be removed from the area.

Since reporting the incident in June, Palmer said he has learned of three additional attacks on leashed pets in the same area.

The Oswego Chronicle has not independently confirmed those additional incidents with Clackamas County animal control.

Palmer's account follows a separate report from the Forest Highlands neighborhood, where a resident posted on Nextdoor in late June describing a coyote that approached her, her husband, and their dogs on Knaus Road and did not retreat even with people standing nearby.

What pet owners should know

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife says summer is pup-rearing season, when coyotes hunt more actively to feed their young and may behave more defensively near den sites. ODFW offers this guidance for residents:

  • Keep dogs on a leash at all times outdoors.
  • Keep cats indoors or in a catio.
  • Check your yard for wildlife before letting pets outside.
  • If coyotes are regularly spotted nearby, temporarily choose a different walking route.
  • "Haze" bold coyotes by yelling, shaking a can filled with coins, banging pots, or using an air horn.
  • Report aggressive coyote behavior to ODFW.
  • Call 911 if a coyote attacks a person.

Feeding coyotes is illegal in Oregon under ORS 496.730. ODFW notes that coyotes are not relocated in the state; the agency considers relocation inhumane and ineffective because coyotes quickly recolonize vacated territory.

Residents who witness aggressive coyote behavior in Lake Oswego can report it to ODFW or Clackamas County animal control.

Upcoming community events

  • Tuesday, Aug. 4: National Night Out in Lake Oswego, a nationwide event strengthening bonds between police and the public.
  • Thursday, July 30: NW Natural Street of Dreams home tour opens at Serres Farms in Oregon City, with additional homes in Lake Oswego. Open through Sunday, Aug. 23. Tickets $29.