VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Someone who lives off of S. Birdneck Road reached out to News 3 after they claimed one of their cats was attacked by a coyote Monday morning.
"Behind that house is where most of them hang out," Raymond Stith, a Virginia Beach resident, said. "A lot of people say they think they are attacking small wild animals and the cats and stuff like that."
Stith says spotting coyotes has become a daily occurrence for him and for some residents, it's a little startling.
"A lot of people say they are afraid of them and I had some neighbors tell me they came all the way to the door," Stith said.
The resident who reported to News 3 that their cat was attacked was unavailable for an interview. They said thankfully, their cat was okay.
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Stith, who runs security for New Jerusalem Church of God in Christ, said the coyote concerns have even pushed his church to not allow children to stay outside and play basketball.
"They come every Tuesday for class and they come and play basketball," Stith said. "We saw the coyote and made them stop coming, made them stop coming out here and playing."
Stith said he's also concerned about what could happen if someone or another small animal is attacked.
"Certain people don't trust them and what I fear is somebody will kill one and then they'll come to take a warrant on you," Stith said. "That's why nobody has done anything like that, but to protect themselves and [if] necessary, I think somebody would do it."
Coyotes are a nuisance species, meaning they have no protections, but it doesn't mean you can totally take care of them yourself.
"In a lot of urban areas, Virginia Beach included, you're not allowed to just shoot a gun in your backyard at a target... Therefore, you're also not allowed to shoot a gun in your backyard at a coyote," Pete Acker with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources said.
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Acker said legal methods for removing coyotes all depend on what county you live in.
He said if residents would like to see coyotes removed, they can hire a trapper.
"People are allowed to contract that out. We have a list of commercial nuisance animal permit [holders]. These are people who trap and who are permitted by us to consult with homeowners who are interested in that type of work," Acker said.
Acker also recommends not leaving food outside for small animals, as it may attract coyotes.
He also said if you spot a coyote, do not leave your pet outside unsupervised or without a leash.
