Hardly a week goes by where I don’t notice a new “Lost Cat” (or dog sign) posted in my neighborhood near Interlaken Elementary School. We in Lakewood are blessed to live amongst a forested setting, however, along with the natural flora comes plentiful fauna including animals such as raccoons and coyotes that present great danger to small pets. Unfortunately, many of the “lost” pets are likely victims of wild animal attack. One such attack took place in Lakewood at my home near the Interlaken bridge on June 2nd, when a large raccoon attacked my 10 pound dog. I was able to pull the raccoon off my dog, though both he and I were scratched and bitten severely in the process. Thanks to good work on the part of 56th street Animal Emergency Clinic (blood and plasma transfusion for Peanut) and the rabies vaccine for me, we both lived to share our story and caution others. My suggestions on how to keep your pet safe from wild animal attack:
- Avoid letting your pet roam freely (even in fenced yard), particularly in non-daylight hours.
- Keep trash containers secure, and certainly don’t feed wild animals–they may look cute, however, they’re indeed hazardous to pets and humans.
- Seek advice from Lakewood animal control on how to rid your area of repeat, unwanted visitors.
Mike Englund
Lakewood