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Coyote Encounter Report Builder

By Checked by CoyoteBytes Editorial TeamReview date First published Filed under Tools

Use this builder, or the plain-text template below, to write down what happened in a coyote encounter: when, where, what the animal did, whether anyone or any pet was hurt, and what you did. It does not send anything. Call 911 or get medical care first for an attack or bite, then contact AZGFD or Pima County animal control.

Build your summary

This is general information, not veterinary, medical or legal advice. For an injured or aggressive animal, a bite, a pet attack or a suspected rabies exposure, call your doctor, your vet, local animal control, or the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD).

If you do not know an answer, leave it blank: the summary will say "unknown". The summary is built in this page only. Nothing is sent or stored.

What was the animal doing?
Were pups, a den or other animals nearby?
Was a person bitten, scratched or touched?
Were children involved?
Was a pet involved?
Were photos taken?

Your summary

 
  Open in my email app 
 
 
Where to send it
 
Send it to the agency listed on the Report page. Report a coyote encounter.
 
The sources list no email address, so the email link opens with the recipient blank for you to fill in.
 
     
  • Attack on a person: 911 or AZGFD. (source, accessed 2026-11-14)
  • Bite, rabies concern, injured pet or potentially dangerous animal in Pima County: Animal Protection Services dispatch, 520-724-5900, ext. 4, or the county online contact form. (source, accessed 2026-11-14)
  • Wildlife questions or neighbors feeding wildlife: AZGFD (Tucson office (520) 628-5376; 24/7 tip line 1-800-352-0700, from a 2018 brochure; confirm on the AZGFD website). (source, accessed 2026-11-14)
    •  
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
Part of our guide: Free Coyote Safety Tools
 
This is general information, not veterinary, medical or legal advice. For an injured or aggressive animal, a bite, a pet attack or a suspected rabies exposure, call your doctor, your vet, local animal control, or the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD).


Reviewed by the editorial desk against the cited sources. The desk holds no wildlife-biology, veterinary or medical credential; see our editorial policy. Checked on 2026-11-14.


This tool turns what you remember about a coyote encounter into a short, ready-to-send summary. It is one of our free coyote safety tools. It replaces the report form from the original 2007 CoyoteBytes site. It does not send anything; read our sighting report form for who to contact.


Before you fill anything in


    

  1. Get to safety. Keep your distance from the animal.
    2. 

  2. Get care first. For a person bitten or scratched, get medical attention immediately and call 911 or AZGFD for an attack. For a pet, call your veterinarian first.
    3. 

  3. Wash any wound with soap and water for 15 minutes and contact your health department right away (CDC wording).
    4. 

  4. Then write the report, while the details are fresh.
    5. 



How to use the builder


Answer each prompt. If you do not know an answer, write “unknown”: do not guess. When you are done, copy the summary into an email or read it out when you call. Confirm contact details on the agency’s own page before you rely on them.



Plain-text template (copy or print)


COYOTE ENCOUNTER REPORT
Date:
Time (and whether daylight or dark):
Location (street, nearest cross street, park or trail, city or community):

WHAT I SAW
Number of animals:
What the animal was doing (walking, watching, approaching, following, feeding, in a yard, other):
Did it appear unwell or act abnormally? (describe; do not guess a cause):
Did it show fear of people, or approach? (describe):
Were pups, a den or other animals nearby? (yes / no / unknown):

WHO OR WHAT WAS INVOLVED
Person bitten, scratched or touched? (yes / no) If yes, medical care sought? (yes / no):
Pet involved? (yes / no) If yes: kind of pet, vaccinated for rabies? (yes / no / unknown), vet contacted? (yes / no):
Was any food, garbage or pet food nearby? (describe):

WHAT I DID
(for example: moved away, brought pets inside, shouted and backed away, called 911, called a vet):

WHO I CONTACTED
(agency, date and time):

HOW TO REACH ME (optional, only what you are comfortable sharing):


Where to send it


    

  • Attack on a person: 911 or AZGFD, per AZGFD’s coyote page.
    • 

  • Bite, rabies concern, injured pet or potentially dangerous animal in Pima County: Animal Protection Services dispatch, 520-724-5900, ext. 4, or the county’s online contact form. See Pima County animal control and wildlife calls.
    • 

  • Wildlife questions or neighbors feeding wildlife: AZGFD. Its brochure lists a Tucson office at (520) 628-5376 and a 24/7 tip line at 1-800-352-0700 (brochure dated 2018; confirm on the AZGFD website).
    • 

  • Everyone else: our who to call guide.
    • 



Why we only ask for what we ask


The template asks for details the CDC mentions (the kind of animal and whether it acted abnormally) and basic facts any agency would ask about. We do not know any agency’s required report format, so ask when you call. We do not ask you to identify the cause of any unusual behavior; leave that to AZGFD, animal control, a vet or a doctor.



    
 
Frequently asked questions
 
 Does this tool send my report to anyone? 
No. The builder only organizes what you type into a summary you can copy, print or paste into an email, and we do not know whether anyone has seen it. You decide who gets it. Contact AZGFD or Pima County animal control directly, using contact details you have confirmed on their pages. Do not rely on this page as a report.
 
 What should I do before filling this in? 
Get to safety, and get care first. For an attack on a person, call 911 or AZGFD, and anyone bitten must seek medical attention immediately. For a pet, call your veterinarian first. The CDC says to wash any wound with soap and water for 15 minutes and contact your health department right away. Fill in the report afterward.
 
 Who should receive the report? 
For a bite, rabies concern, injured pet or potentially dangerous animal in Pima County, Animal Protection Services takes calls at 520-724-5900, ext. 4. For an attack on a person, AZGFD or 911. For wildlife questions, AZGFD. Our who-to-call page explains each. Confirm every number with the agency before relying on it.
 
 What details are most useful to include? 
The CDC asks you to tell your provider what kind of animal was involved and to report any signs that the animal was not acting normally. Beyond that, the agencies we cite do not publish a required report format, so the template covers the basics: date, time, location, what you saw, what the animal did, who or what was affected, and what you did.
 
 Should I take a photo or follow the coyote? 
No. Keep your distance. The CDC says the best way to avoid rabies in the U.S. is to keep your distance from wildlife, and not to approach animals that look injured, sick or dead. A photo from a safe distance is fine if you are in no danger, but do not approach or follow the animal to get one.
 
 Do I need to give my name and address? 
Agencies may need contact details to follow up, but we do not know their requirements, so ask when you call. Share only what you are comfortable sharing. This page does not collect or store anything. For a bite, a medical provider or health department will ask for details, so be ready to tell them what happened.
 
 
 
 
Sources
 
  1. AZGFD: Living with Coyotes (read via search index; site blocks automated fetching) (azgfd.com)
  2. CDC: Rabies Prevention and Control (cdc.gov)
  3. Pima County: Animal Protection (pima.gov)
  4. AZGFD: Keep Wildlife Wild brochure (PDF) (live-azgfd-main.pantheonsite.io)
 
 
 
 
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