I’ve been reading credible social reports that people may be feeding coyotes.
On Sunday, Aug. 2, I emailed Seal Beach Police Capt. Nick Nicholas about this. “I checked the Municipal Code: ‘7.05.100 Feeding of Nondomestic Animals Prohibited. It is unlawful for any person to feed or provide food to any nondomesticated animal. This prohibition shall not apply to the feeding of wild birds that are confined in an enclosure on private property.’ The ordinance did not refer to a penalty. How could SBPD enforce this code?”
Capt. Nicholas, who as SBPD support services captain is responsible for animal control, replied Monday, Aug. 3, at 7:47 a.m.
“You are correct that Section 7.05.100 does not include a penalty within that specific provision,” Nicholas wrote.
“However, Seal Beach Municipal Code Section 7.05.010 applies to the entirety of Chapter 7.05 and states:
“‘Violation of any of the provisions of this chapter shall constitute an infraction unless prosecuted pursuant to the administrative citation procedure of this code,’” Nicholas wrote.
“Accordingly, feeding or providing food to a coyote is prohibited by Section 7.05.100 and may be addressed as an infraction or through the City’s administrative-citation process,” Nicholas wrote.
“The practical limitation is that, as a general rule, a peace officer cannot make a warrantless arrest or issue a criminal citation for a misdemeanor or infraction that was not committed in the officer’s presence,” Nicholas wrote.
“Therefore, social media posts or a report that someone may be feeding coyotes would not, by themselves, ordinarily allow an officer to issue an infraction citation. An officer could investigate the report, contact the person involved, explain the ordinance, document the circumstances, and seek voluntary compliance. If an officer personally observed the person feeding a coyote, the officer could take appropriate enforcement action,” Nicholas wrote.
“In most situations, our immediate priority would be stopping the feeding, educating the person about the public-safety consequences, and documenting the incident so that repeated conduct can be appropriately addressed,” Nicholas wrote.
According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife website: “Potential conflict with coyotes may occur due to property damage, loss of pets or small livestock, or human health and safety concerns if a coyote loses its natural fear of humans.”
A 2003 ad from the time when Fish and Wildlife was called Fish and Game said: “Most wild animals will not bother you. They naturally fear humans and keep their distance—so long as they remain fully wild.
“But if wild animals have access to human food and garbage, they want more and more. They change their natural ways. Their normal fear of humans becomes lost.
“These animals are powerful. If they are addicted to human food sources, they may cause severe property damage and threaten human safety, if someone stands in their way.”
Coyotes are canines. Their puppies look cute. But they are not pets. They are wild animals. I don’t want to have to write about, or read a press release about, someone being bitten by coyote because someone else decided to feed a coyote. The city can legally put down a coyote that bites a person. That, of course, assumes that an attack on a human is reported to the city. A poodle bit me once. I didn’t report it.
I know it seems counter-intuitive, but in the long run keeping coyotes afraid of us humans protects coyotes, humans and pets. The city calls the practice “hazing”. You can find articles on hazing at sunnews.org.
I also respectfully suggest you report coyotes to the city’s coyote portal or use the My Seal Beach app. Police and council members and animal control cannot magically absorb information from the air. Telepathy. Is. Not. Real. Meanwhile, don’t feed coyotes. You’re not doing the coyotes, your neighbor’s pets, or yourself any favors.
Charles M. Kelly is associate editor of the Sun. He is also a grouch.