Massachusetts cities and towns are warning dog owners to exercise caution after coyotes stole pets

Several communities in Massachusetts are warning residents and dog handlers about coyotes after a series of violent encounters.

Police in the town of Hopkinton, about 32 miles west of Boston, said a woman was walking her dogs on Thursday when a coyote grabbed one of the animals.

In Milford, not far from Hopkinton, a coyote took a dog named “Guido” off Pine Island Road on Wednesday morning, that city’s animal welfare officials said.

The coyote incidents follow another encounter in which a coyote attacked a woman in Fall River, a town about 55 miles south of Boston, earlier this week.

Residents of the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston complained earlier this month after seeing a coyote carrying the body of a small dog.

Milford animal welfare officials said in a Facebook post that residents need to be more vigilant at dusk and dawn, the optimal hunting times for coyotes.

Hopkinton Police said in a statement that residents should consider carrying a walking stick.

They also said police “feel awful that someone’s furry friend happened. They are family and a great loss if we lose them.”

Coyotes have become an increasing nuisance in some urban and suburban Massachusetts communities in recent years.

The city of Nahant decided late last year to be the first in the state to sign a contract with the federal government to kill the animals.