Coyotes and pets in San Diego: who to call, and what actually keeps a pet safe
Coyotes live in nearly every San Diego neighborhood that borders a canyon. Keep cats indoors, don't leave small dogs out alone at dawn, dusk or night, and haze any coyote that doesn't leave. Nobody removes roaming ones.
- Who to call
- 619-299-7012
- Person in danger
- 911
- Pup season
- March–May
- Coyote-proof fence
- 5½ ft + buried apron + roller
San Diego Humane Society, for injured, trapped or attacking coyotes
UC IPM
The short version
- In June 2026 a coyote cleared a 5-foot gate in La Jolla's Crystal Bay area and killed a family cat
- In November 2025 a coyote bit a 3-year-old near Westfield UTC; CDFW euthanized it three days later after a DNA match
- San Diego Humane Society (619-299-7012) responds to injured, trapped or attacking coyotes, not ones that are just roaming
- UC's pest experts say a coyote fence needs at least 5½ feet, a buried wire apron and a roller or overhang on top
- Pup season runs roughly March to May, when coyotes defend dens hardest
Coyotes aren't a backcountry problem in San Diego. The city's canyons run straight through residential neighborhoods, and coyotes use them as corridors. Most never cause trouble. The ones that do almost always go after cats and small dogs, and almost always at dawn, at dusk or overnight.
2026
2025
Pins are approximate and mark where incidents were reported, not where coyotes live: they're in canyon-edge neighborhoods across the county. Sources: Hoodline (June 2026), 10News (November 2025), NBC 7 (October 2025).
See these on the full San Diego mapWho to call, and who won't come
Who handles coyotes in San Diego
| San Diego Humane Society / County | California Fish and Wildlife | 911 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Handles | A coyote that's injured, sick, trapped, or has attacked a pet or person | Non-emergency reports; investigates attacks on people | A person in immediate danger |
| Contact | 619-299-7012 | Wildlife Incident Reporting, apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir | Call 911 |
| Doesn't handle | Coyotes that are "loose or simply roaming," or nuisance removal | — | — |
In practice, nobody removes a coyote for living in your neighborhood. The County points people with nuisance coyotes to private trappers, and UC's Integrated Pest Management program notes that leghold traps are banned for coyotes outside a declared health-and-safety emergency. Removal reliably happens only after a coyote bites a person: after the UTC attack, CDFW matched the animal's DNA and euthanized it three days later. It tested negative for rabies.
What actually protects a pet
- 01
Keep cats indoors
No fence or habit protects an outdoor cat in a canyon-edge neighborhood as well as keeping it inside.
- 02
Don't leave small dogs out alone at dawn, dusk or night
That includes a fenced yard. The Crystal Bay cat was killed behind a 5-foot gate.
- 03
Walk on a short leash
A short, non-retractable leash keeps your dog beside you. If a coyote approaches, pick a small dog up.
- 04
Haze, don't run
CDFW's advice is to yell, clap, blow a whistle or wave your arms, and give the coyote a clear way to leave.
- 05
Remove the food
Pet food and water left outside, open trash and recycling, and fallen birdseed (which draws rodents) all bring coyotes in.
When to be most careful
Pup season runs roughly March to May, which is why the San Diego Humane Society holds its Coyote Awareness Week in March (March 16–22 in 2026). A coyote with pups nearby may follow, or "escort," a person and dog away from its den, with warning displays. That's a defensive warning, not a hunt. Leash up and leave the area.
KEEP READING
SOURCES
Everything above traces back to one of these. Follow them — if one has changed and we haven't, that's our mistake, not yours.
County of San Diego, Department of Animal Services · Checked October 7, 2026
619-299-7012; no response to roaming coyotes or nuisance removal
- PrimaryCoyotes
California Department of Fish and Wildlife · Checked October 7, 2026
Hazing, attractants, Wildlife Incident Reporting
- BackgroundPest Notes: Coyote
UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program · Checked October 7, 2026
Fence specification; leghold trap restriction
Hoodline · June 4, 2026
Crystal Bay, Muirlands and Barber Tract incidents
10News · November 2025
NBC 7 San Diego · October 10, 2025
NBC 7 San Diego · March 2026
Pup season March–May