Man blames coyotes for deadly goat attacks

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — A Cherokee County man says coyotes killed his pet goat and he’s warning other pet owners about the threat.

The Department of Natural Resources says they receive more complaint calls about coyotes than they do about most anything else.

Gordon Clement is now among those with concerns.

Clement and his wife have raised pygmy goats on their Cherokee County property for more than a decade.

“(They’re) very friendly all of the time.  We were very close to them,” Clement said.

Last Thursday, Clement's wife went to feed Chivo and her sister, Charro when she made a horrific discovery.

“She came running in the house: ‘Charro's dead, Charro's dead.’ ‘I said, 'What do you mean she's dead?'" Clement said.

Clement believes coyotes attacked his beloved goat.

"Coyotes are rampant in this area.  They're all over the place," Clement said.

The DNR said the agency gets reports of coyotes across the state. February and March are breeding season for coyotes, so DNR could expect to get more reports of attacks.

Clement said he was surprised when animal control told him there's nothing they could do about the coyote population.

“If there were a bunch of tigers around, or elephants, they'd do something about getting rid of them,” Clement said.

Clement plans to keep Charro's sister locked up safely in a barn. He’s hopeful the predators won't return.

"It's devastating to both of us, my wife and me, to lose a pet that we've had that long,” Clements said.

DNR doesn't track the numbers of coyotes out there. But they do have some advice for homeowners: Build a bigger fence, get a guard dog and bring your small pets inside at night.

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WSBTV