Surprise, Warwick Mayor Says Rare ‘Coyotes’ Are Actually Dogs

Earlier this week experts of all kinds were reporting that rare black Eastern coyotes were spotted wandering a Warwick, Rhode Island neighborhood during daylight hours.

Numerous photos were shared of these 'coyotes' and many dog lovers commented that the animals seen roaming looked more like strays than rare pups.

It turns out those people were right.

Warwick mayor, Frank Picozzi, announced today that the animals seen around town are in fact a pair of puppies whose owner had moved away and left his former dogs in the care of a neighbor. They somehow managed to get away from this neighbor and it is these dogs that have had people up in arms for days.

Picozzi did add that the now captured dogs are going to be tested because officials believe they may be dog-wolf hybrids, which as we learned in January with Zeus, are illegal in Rhode Island.

Personally the testing feels almost like covering many 'experts' butts.

All sorts of officials and wildlife experts weighed in on the 'rare coyote' claims. Less than 24 hours before Mayor Picozzi declared these wandering animals to be dogs, he was posting information from Dr. Numi Mitchell, a biologist and member of the Narragansett Bay Coyote Commission.

Yesterday he was posting Mitchell's advice to Facebook saying that "yes they are coyote, not hybrids or dogs, their color is rare but not the first she has seen." He also used all caps when adding "DO NOT attempt to interact with them...they are NOT DOGS and someone will get bit. BITE= DEAD COYOTE."

No word on how they discovered the animals were actually dogs or who spoke up as the local voice of reason, but the public is presumably pretty relieved to know coyotes aren't just out and about wandering the streets.

Picozzi says the dogs will be DNA tested and hopefully results will be made publicly available when they receive them.