Let me first introduce myself, I’m Tracey Paull. I’m a wife, mom of two elementary children, a dog owner and avid walker/runner. We moved to Belvedere to raise our kids in what most consider an idyllic location. We write this letter to our fellow residents who continue to feel unsafe in the very place we call home.

The Belvedere coyote problem is simply out of control. On a daily basis, the discussion among neighbors and on Nextdoor is story after story of pets attacked and people stalked by these animals that have become far too comfortable in our community. Now you can add our family to the list. On Thursday 1/26 at 2:15pm, a neighbor and I were in my fenced yard where our pugs love to play under tight supervision. Winnie, our pug, was attacked by a coyote 5 ft. from us. We screamed and thankfully the coyote dropped her. We cannot underscore how traumatized our entire family is from this incident. Winnie is alive - this time. Winnie received 3 puncture wounds - she's on antibiotics - but she's not herself. Our kids are beside themselves that a coyote was in the yard they play in with friends.

What's so incredibly frustrating is how much we have modified our lives to keep our dog/cats/children safe while NOT enough is being done to remedy the issue. Signs were placed around Belvedere alerting us of the issue but what's not being discussed is how the coyotes are coming right up to our homes to kill our animals. One hour after the incident, we snapped a picture of the coyote who returned to feast again.

We immediately reached out to Police Chief Wu to document our case and discuss the ongoing issue. We also met with our Mayor and multiple City Council Members. Everyone is aware of the issue, but until now, no one has collected community support to pressure our officials to take action. Based on my research, the data clearly shows that once coyotes are no longer fearful of humans (which has clearly happened in Belvedere), the risk to people, especially our children, rises to an unacceptable level. Unfortunately, it is only a matter of time before a more serious incident happens in our community.

We are seeking local resident signatures to demand removal of all aggressive coyotes from Belvedere. Our unique geography combined with months of sightings, strikes and kills leaves us with no other option. The City Council will be hosting a community forum in the coming weeks to discuss this issue. We urge all residents to take an active role in this important issue. As a community, we can make a difference.

Please sign the petition. Your email and address will NOT be shared publicly on this site. They are just collected to share with the City Council.

Thanks,

Tracey and Ben Paull

traceypaull@gmail.com