Texas Wildlife Services will begin placing a variety of snares, leg holds and jaw-like traps on private land in Mansfield to keep coyotes at bay.
The coyotes will be euthanized once caught.
A Country Club Pet Hospital veterinarian said animals less than 20 pounds are targets because they are the same size as what coyotes' natural prey.
Depending on how hungry the coyote is, it could go after larger animals such as the one sheep and goat Maria Elena Orona has on her property for her kids, Country Club Pet Hospital said.
Orona, who lives on Fourth Street next to a large wooded area, said she hears coyotes howling at night.
"We had like 29 chickens and within a week and half, they were all gone," she said.
Orona keeps her two dogs inside at night.
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"At one point last year, I had about 17 cats. I only have two cats left," she said.
Mansfield Animal Control said most coyotes are afraid of humans. The County Club Pet Hospital said people can escape a coyote by screaming and scaring it. If it doesn't run away, people should slowly back away, go inside and call animal control.
