MEQUON, Wis. — Neighbors living near Lake Shore Middle School say a pack of coyotes is entering their yards daily and is becoming increasingly aggressive toward pets and residents living there.
WATCH: Mequon neighbors contact TMJ4 after daily coyote pack sightings in their backyards
Neighbor Anne-Marie Papageorge called TMJ4 last week and sent us several videos of the coyotes running around during the day and night. She says sightings have gone from a rare occurrence to an almost daily reality.
"It changed drastically from seeing one or two a year to one or two a week to usually daily, almost daily now," Papageorge said. "It feels like they own us, and we're living on their property."
Her neighbor, Ashley Kitzmille,r said she called the city after her own dog was attacked last Spring. Kitzmiller believes multiple packs have established dens in the area.
"We have made attempts to get them handled through the process, and it's resulting in no action," Kitzmiller said. "At what point do you decide it's not a peaceful cohabitation when they're aggressively going after small pets?"
The city of Mequon directed TMJ4 to its five-level coyote plan of action. They are one of at least a few Milwaukee-area suburbs with such a document. The decade-old policy states the city can only remove coyotes at level 4 of 5 — after a verified coyote attack on a pet or human has occurred.
"We feel like it's a reactive situation, but we'd like to make it a proactive situation," Papageorge said.
Options available to residents include filing a report with the city and enlisting the help of DNR-licensed trappers.
The city says if you see a coyote, you should stand your ground by standing up tall and making noise until it leaves the area.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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