A San Francisco man has a warning for others after he said a pack of coyotes killed his dog Thursday morning at a popular destination in the city.
Justin Rivard and his partner took their three dogs to play at Baker Beach around 7:15 a.m. Rivard said they were suddenly surrounded by five coyotes. Peter, a three-and-a-half-year-old Pomeranian, was ultimately taken by the coyotes.
“I just remember seeing teeth and a very dominant body position,” Rivard said. “They surrounded us. They made a semi-circle around us. When I tried to grab [Peter] they grabbed him, and the two others jumped at my partner and tried to get the dogs from his arms.”
Rivard said they swung sticks and screamed but the coyotes appeared unafraid. He and his partner were not physically hurt, but he said it’s been a heartbreaking day for them.
“It’s a lot to take in. This is something you don’t wish on your worst enemy to watch your dog die in front of you,” he said.
Baker Beach is on the Presidio National Park site, so Rivard reported the incident to Parks Police.
Rivard was later contacted by a wildlife ecologist with the Presidio Land Trust. The trust helps manage the site with the National Park Service, and a nonprofit called the Golden Gate National Park Conservancy.
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Rivard said the ecologist told him the coyotes could be drawn to the area because of trash at a nearby homeless encampment.
“There’s so much litter up there and so much food for the animals,” Rivard said. “With the quantity of food that’s available to them, they’re just going to keep their ground and establish dominance over this area.”
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It’s unclear who is responsible for cleaning up the encampments on the property. A spokesperson for the Presidio Trust said they were not responsible.
The NPS and Golden Gate National Park Conservancy did not immediately respond to NBC Bay Area’s request for comment on Thursday.
Rivard said the encampments are a major problem and he wants it cleared.
“Something has to be done where they clean up the National Park,” Rivard said.
Rivard added he also wants more visible signage warning about coyotes for people visiting the park.
“It’s a dog one time and maybe a child next time," he said.
