Don't blame a wild animal for doing something that it is driven to do. Blame the builders for encroaching on the coyotes' habitat.

I live in an area of Canyon Country where coyotes, bobcats, rattlesnakes and owls have been in my yard and next to our fences.

I have had neighbors lose their pets and many times watched mine almost taken. Why is it such a shock that there are coyotes in the area? Haven't they been here for thousands of years?

The fact is that coyotes are very necessary residents in the Santa Clarita Valley. They keep the rodent population down.

If you take away coyotes, you tamper with the environment. It is unfortunate when they eat a pet, but don't make them out to be horrible, ferocious beasts that prey on pets and small children.

What's next, Santa Clarita? Chupacabras?