Coyotes at Glendale house get a reprieve

L.A. County officials said Tuesday they will hold off on trapping and euthanizing a  pack of coyotes living in an abandoned Glendale home, which is now slated for demolition.

County officials had planned to trap and then euthanize the pack of about six coyotes because they posed a threat to pets and small children. The pack also would not survive if relocated in the wild, officials said.

But news of the possible killings caused a public outcry, with county and city officials fielding calls opposing the plans. Glendale Deputy City Atty. Yvette Neukian, who met with Brett van den Berg, owner of the fire-gutted house on Brockmont Drive, said the demolition of the structure would begin within a week.

Because the coyotes have not been aggressive and neighbors are taking precautions against attracting coyotes, officials think the pack will move on once the house is torn down, said Ken Pellman, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Agricultural Commissioner/Weights and Measures.

"In this situation, it looks like trapping will not be necessary," Pellman said.

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-- Mark Kellam, Times Community News

Photo: The abandoned Glendale house that neighbors say is inhabited by coyotes. Credit: Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times