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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Tuesday, April 07, 2015

Bethlehem May Have Bats, But the Township Has Coyotes .. and Pit Bulls

Bethlehem Township resident Don Wright is worried about the increasing number of coyotes he is seeing in his neighborhood. He's also concerned about an increasing number of pit bulls. "There are a lot of small pets," he told Commissioners at their April 6 meeting. "Also small children."

"I'd be more worried about the pit bulls," remarked Michael Hudak, stating that they are more predatory than coyotes.

Manager Melissa Shafer stated that the Township web page has several tips on dealing with coyotes.

-Firmly secure your garbage so that a coyote would not be able to gain access and eat from garbage bins.
-Only feed your pets inside and never leave or store pet food outdoors.
-If you know of any rodent problem on your property, have the issue managed quickly, as rodents are a prime food source for coyotes.
-Do not leave any smaller dogs, cats or other pets outside unsupervised, especially between dusk and dawn.
-If you have a fence or gate to your back yard, make sure it is secured.
-Keep your grass well maintained and all shrubs, trees and bushes trimmed, doing so will remove shelter for coyotes.
-Remove any structures, equipment, piles, etc. that could provide shelter to coyotes.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

don't know about 'yotes, but I've seen a healthy-sized fox in the northwest bethlehem area.

Anonymous said...

Hudak's statement about Pit Bulls is beyond idiotic.

Pipeline Guy said...

I'm more worried about the $350k they are going to spend on sports field bathrooms. Even if much of it is coming from grant money, it's absolutely ridiculous. You could rent port-a-johns for the next 250 years for that amount. Cue the "But think of the children!" mob. At least they aren't paying for a fake turf field. Yet.

Bernie O'Hare said...

I thought that the least significant of the stories from last night. I will be writing about it, but for tomorrow. the reason it is low priority to me is because (a) the money has already been budgeted; and (b) this grant is a way to avoid spending that money in its entirety.

Chris Casey said...

Hudak says Pit Bulls are more predatory than Coyotes? What a moron! What makes Dogs different that Coyotes, despite being of the same genus, is the relationship dogs and humans have formed. Pit Bulls are actually gentle loving dogs, with a few trained bu people to be aggressive. Coyotes, on the other hand, are wild animals, period.

Anonymous said...

My Pit Bull is smarter, better behaved, and better smelling than Mr. Hudak. Meanwhile, the Maine Coon cat next door leaves a trail of rodent and avialae carnage through several neighborhood yards each day. No more bird watching. Life in the suburbs is tough.

Anonymous said...

Pit bulls have been bred to be aggressive They are the bred of hood rats who encourage this breeding.

They are a menace and attack more people and other dogs more than any other breed.
Good for him to have the courage to speak the truth.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Not too racist, are we?

Anonymous said...

"Hood rats" come in all races creeds and colors, jackass.

It is a way of life and sate of mind.

Anonymous said...

My Pit only bites racists on command. He'd love to have a go at the "hood rat" birdbrain. I'd love to issue the command.

Bernie O'Hare said...

3:24, And you are a racist.

Anonymous said...

anon 3:29 proves the point. Owners of pit bulls see them as weapons. I do not blame the animals as they are pawns of stupid people. They were bred to tear things apart. Go to animal shelters, pit bulls make up the most of the dogs. In dog parks pit bulls running loose are a menace to other dogs. They are responsible for the mauling of other dogs and children. A vicious dog meant to make an owner make up for their own inadequacies. Ask cops which dogs are the most aggressive in their work.

They are not to blame for what humans have done. There is no question of their breeding. Anon 3:29 and the threat of violence shows the intent of most pit bull owners.

For the sake of the animal and people the breed should be allowed to run out.

Anonymous said...

My Pit also has a better sense of humor than the broad brush painter at 4:13. There are no bad breeds. There are only bad owners. Labs are so over- and inbred, they can become unstable and unsuitable as pets. Same for any breed. It's all about clean lines and responsible owners. American Pit Bull Terriers were once considered Babysitter Dogs, due to their popularity and gentle nature. The bad ones get all the press. Just like those "hood rats" you don't like.

Anonymous said...

If there is one thing that our township commissioners know about it's wild critters like coyotes. Bernie you should ask them about foxes. Our township as several foxes in the hen house and they are an authority on the subject. Just look at the bathrooms not yet built.

Anonymous said...

anon 4:13 is correct. The breed is very dangerous. They were bred for full out aggression. Sad for the animal but the studies back it up. Human apologists are the same idiots that let these dogs run free at parks and in the neighborhoods.

Bernie O'Hare said...

There are actually four different kinds of pit bulls. Which one do you mean? Or do you have any idea what you are talking about?

Anonymous said...

None of you get it and its clear you are all feeding off each others inaccurate statements. try actually attending a meeting before you decide to comment. I was there. Its clear to me that Hudak was not specifying the breed but rather commenting on the only two choices available,Coyotes and pit bulls. The gentleman could have just as easily have said German shepard instead of pit bull. I understood the point hudak was making. When approaching a stray dog you stand a good chance of getting bit. As a hunter for over 50 years I know it is impossible to approach a Coyote without it running away !
Hence, I'd worry more about the pit bull than the coyote statement.
of course I could be wrong. Maybe you should just actually ask the man his intention before speaking against.
Theres an old saying, better to be thought an idiot then to open ones mouth and remove all doubt.
tahts all i see here and I doubt bernie wants to waste blog space on doggie banter.

Matt Miles said...

I've handled and played with all kinds of dogs. The pitbull comment is beyond idiotic. The only dog that has ever bitten me was a poodle, and I was a stupid 9 year old teasing it. I'm glad to hear that BT has all of the potholes filled and the rest of the house in order so they can chase dogs.

Anonymous said...

8:15 - We all know the idiocy of Hudak. He's demonstrated it on multiple occasions. No need for clarification.