COYOTE AND PREDATOR AWARENESS
By DeAnn Lubell
It took a preventable tragedy to begin an organization designed to help pet owners realize the dangers of predators – animals, birds, and human alike – found in rural areas, suburban neighborhoods, gated communities, small towns, and major cities. Amy’s Purpose is a newly formed nonprofit dedicated to educating the public about predator awareness, prevention, and pet safety.
Amy, a cute four-year-old puppy mill rescued terrier, was murdered by three coyotes in her high desert backyard on a bright sunny morning on December 22, 2019. Owners DeAnn Lubell and Jeffrey Clarke witnessed the horrific act. Consequently, Lubell and Clarke, along with daughter, Tanya Martin, set out to right a wrong.
“We didn’t waste time, in the midst of our grief, to learn as much as we could about the behaviors and habitats of coyotes and other predators,” said local writer and publicist DeAnn Lubell, President and Founder of Amy’s Purpose. “It was an eye-opener. Most pet owners do not think twice about letting their cats and dogs out into what they think is the safety of the family’s backyard that looks so innocent and secure. The fact of the matter is that Coyotes can easily scale a 12-foot wall or fence, while Bobcats and other felines are able to leap great distances. Owls and hawks are known to swoop down from the sky and easily pick up a small dog or cat or severely injure larger pets. Poisonous snakes are known to hide in crevices where dogs like to sniff. There is the human predator, who dognaps for profit, dog-fight bait, or even as a food source. These threats may not be visible, but they are most definitely lurking, watching, and waiting out of sight for the right opportunity. It only takes a second. We stress that it is not the fault of the wild creatures. We invaded their habitat to build our human communities.”
Amy’s Purpose is developed to help prevent pet injury or death and heartache for the pet owner. Its goal is education, prevention ideas, news alerts, sharing of stories, grief counseling, professional guest speakers, and eventually to establish more adequate and affordable 24/7 emergency pet care severely lacking in the low and high California deserts.
For more information go to www.amyspurpose.net or call the office at 818-946-8086
