Coyotes Are Settling In On WeHo’s Eastside, Neighbors Say Providing Shelter Is Part Of The Problem

Please do not feed or shelter coyotes in West Hollywood

First, let me begin by saying, I understand the desire to care for all animals, even wild ones. But feeding or sheltering coyotes in West Hollywood, or any wildlife, is exactly how you end up with a problem. I was once the naive resident who used to let raccoons come in through the cat door and eat the cat food in the kitchen; that was until I discovered that in addition to the cans of cat food I was opening up, it was also a can of worms. Not good, my friends, not good. Trust me on this.

For the record, it is illegal to foster, feed, or otherwise encourage wildlife to live in residential neighborhoods in both Los Angeles and West Hollywood. In West Hollywood specifically:

Feeding coyotes or other wild predators is enforced as West Hollywood administrative citation tied to L.A. County Code 10.84.010, and the City’s Schedule C penalties are:

$75 administrative fee

$250 for a first offense

$500 for a second offense

$1,000 for a third offense, based on payment within 21 days.

Neighborhood Living in Fear
As I reported here a month ago, one neighborhood on the eastside of West Hollywood has been overrun, described by several to WEHOonline as though “taken hostage” by a pack of coyotes for the past 3 months. Not 3 days. Not 3 weeks. 3 months.

Residents talk of living in fear for themselves, their children, and especially their fur family members. It’s not enough to have a fence around your property they say, (which by the way, most do not have or can’t afford to put in) as the coyotes have shown they will  easily scale them. Some also say they no longer feel comfortable letting their kids play in their front yards, with dog walkers living in fear something tragic will happen simply from walking their pets in a neighborhood that was once safe to do so. One resident told us they’re “so fkn angry” that their 17 year old senior cat can no longer safely enjoy his last days sitting on the porch — even though the property is completely enclosed with 6’ high fencing. 

From the high-pitched howls deep in the night and pre-dawn hours, to their roaming the neighborhood all hours of the day, residents have had enough. And as seen in the photos above and below, the fact these coyotes are comfortable enough to hang out in people’s yards is a breaking point for many.

What’s Going On?
For weeks, residents in the neighborhood group chat/alert have been asking, in fear and frustration, “why have these coyotes chosen to take up residence in this neighborhood, Greenacre to the west, Poinsettia Drive and Place to the east?”

That was until the video… 

For months, residents have been doing as directed: hazing, chasing, and humanely discouraging them from thinking the neighborhood was a safe haven. This even includes chasing them down the streets in the middle of the night with a big stick. To no avail. Nothing has changed. If anything, they seem more emboldened and casually comfortable with moving into the neighborhood. Still, they couldn’t figure out why, until they discovered last week they’ve been finding shelter within at least one of the many unsecured crawl spaces in the neighborhood as seen in the video above. This kind of easy access to shelter provides the perfect place for them to build a den and just in time for mating season, which is literally right now as we speak.

When one homeowner with an unsecured crawl space was approached, they seemed rather dismissive and nonchalant. They indicated they feed the various wildlife including both raccoons and opossums, and that if coyotes were part of that, “so be it.” Thankfully, after some serious convincing, they agreed to let a neighbor close up the crawl space.

Neighbors Plea For Help

So here’s the ask, no, here’s the plea from  neighbors: please do not feed them, do not “help” them, do not leave food out for raccoons, opossums, squirrels or feral cats and assume coyotes won’t show up next. And while you’re at it, they beg of you — please do a quick audit of your property for shelter spots. If you live in an apartment building check there too and report it to your property manager or the City.

Quick property audit, what to look for, and what to do:

• Crawl spaces: Walk the perimeter of your building and look for any opening a coyote could squeeze into, especially under porches, additions, and older raised foundations. If you see a gap, don’t wait. Vents and access panels: Check foundation vents, broken lattice, and loose access doors. Replace flimsy screens. Use sturdy metal vent covers or heavy-gauge hardware cloth that’s securely fastened, not stapled.

• Under decks and stairs: Coyotes love quiet, shaded cover. If there’s an open underside, close it off with solid fencing or hardware cloth, and make sure it’s anchored to the ground so it can’t be pushed up.

• Side-yard gaps and fence lines: Look for worn boards, holes, and that “one loose panel” everyone keeps meaning to fix. Patch it. A small gap turns into a regular route.

• Sheds, carports, and dense shrubs: Coyotes love cover. Clear out clutter, trim low brush, and remove hiding spots near the house. The goal is to make your yard feel exposed, not cozy.

One important safety note: if you suspect an animal is already living under your home or deck, don’t seal it up blindly. That can trap wildlife inside and make the situation worse fast. Get guidance from Animal Care and Control or a licensed wildlife professional who can confirm it’s empty and, if needed, set up proper one-way exclusion before you close it off for good.

In case you’re wondering, yes, the City of West Hollywood can help, too.

If you see a home, vacant property, or construction site with an exposed crawl space, an open vent, or a broken access panel, and you’d rather not engage a neighbor directly, you can contact Danny Rivas, the City’s Director of Community Safety. The City can come out, take a look, and help push to get crawl spaces closed up and secured. Rivas can be reached at (323) 848-6424 or drivas@weho.org. (West Hollywood)

Also, if you live next door to a construction site or a home remodel, ask the contractor on site to do a quick check. Make sure crawl spaces and under-structure openings are blocked off, and that any temporary fence or access gate isn’t easy to move, lift, or leave ajar. Even a short window of “easy access” can turn into a den.

Urgency Is in the Air: Mating Season is Now

Reminder, January through March is peak coyote mating season in Southern California, which means more movement, more patrolling, and more den-protective behavior, especially if they’ve found a reliable pocket of food and cover. It’s also when you’ll see the same coyotes over and over because they are not just passing through, they’re holding territory.

And to be clear, “feeding” is not just tossing them scraps. It’s leaving pet food out, putting out food for “other” wildlife, unsecured trash and compost, fallen fruit, and anything else that teaches coyotes that people and backyards equal easy calories. Once they connect those dots, they stop acting like a wary wild animal and start acting entitled. That’s when the risk to pets, and sometimes people, spikes.

Nobody wants to hurt these animals, and that’s the point. The fastest way to keep coyotes wild, wary, and moving along is to stop rewarding them. That means, no access to food, no shelter, no easy routine. If we all tighten up our properties and stop the accidental buffet, we give ourselves a safer neighborhood, and we give the coyotes what they actually need: a reason to stay out of our neighborhoods for prolonged periods of time.