Coyotes Get Bolder, Pasadena Workshop Teaches Residents How to Cope

With coyotes entering peak mating season, the Pasadena Public Health Department will join Pasadena Humane to host a free Coyote Hazing Workshop on Saturday, February 7 at the nonprofit’s campus on South Raymond Avenue.

The workshop, scheduled from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at 361 S. Raymond Ave., will teach residents how to recognize coyote behavior and apply hazing techniques — methods that use noise, assertive posture, and visual deterrents to reinforce the animals’ natural fear of people. January through March is coyote mating season, a period when the animals travel more widely, defend den sites, and may venture closer to homes in search of food and shelter, according to a city press release announcing the event.

“We all have a role to play in maintaining coyote’s fear of humans and hazing is the most important action we can take to safely coexist with coyotes,” Manuel Carmona, Director of Public Health for the City of Pasadena, said in a prior city statement on coyote management.

Coyotes are found throughout Pasadena neighborhoods. The city’s approach to managing them relies on community education rather than trapping or removal, a strategy formalized in its Urban Wildlife Management Plan. In 2023, the Pasadena City Council directed the health department to enhance public outreach, bring in wildlife experts, and help residents protect their pets. That effort expanded in late 2024, when the department began coyote behavior assessments in four neighborhoods where complaint data showed heightened concerns.

Hazing, as described by the city and Pasadena Humane, involves making yourself ;appear large,’ standing your ground, maintaining eye contact, and using noisemakers or throwing objects such as tennis balls toward the coyote — and never turning your back or running. The technique typically drives a coyote away after one or two applications, according to the city’s wildlife management plan.

“It is important to create a culture of bold and consistent hazing to prepare for the possibility of encountering coyotes when walking pets,” Lauren Hamlett, Director of Wildlife Education and Services at Pasadena Humane, said in the same city statement. “This includes always staying present and aware, leashing pets, and never placing pets in situations where they are vulnerable to wildlife interactions.”

The city also recommends that residents to walk dogs on fixed-length leashes of six feet or shorter, keep cats indoors, supervise small dogs outdoors, and remove food attractants including outdoor pet food, unsecured trash, bird feeders, and fallen fruit. Deliberately feeding wildlife is prohibited under both California law and Pasadena Municipal Code.

Saturday’s workshop at Pasadena Humane is free and open to the public. Attendees will meet wildlife experts, ask questions, and take home tips for handling coyote encounters, according to the press release. Street parking and an underground lot accessible from Raymond Avenue are available.

Residents can report coyote sightings to the City Service Center at (626) 744-7311. Aggressive coyote behavior should be reported to Pasadena Humane at (626) 792-7151. For more information about the workshop, contact Ryane Daniels, Animal Care and Control Management Analyst, at RDaniels@CityOfPasadena.net or (626) 744-6090.

“Coyotes are naturally fearful of people and typically go out of their way to avoid human interaction,” Carmona said in the city statement. “When coyotes are comfortable around humans, it is a strong sign that someone nearby is intentionally or inadvertently feeding them.”