Melissa Clark loves wildlife, but she wants to end her fear of bobcats in Frisco. 

The wife, mother and grandmother said she's lived in her home for more than 25 years. During that span, she's never thought of protecting her community from bobcats.

"I can't let my grandchildren go play in the backyard. I can't let my Goldendoodle go out by herself now because what if they came up together," Clark said. "One, they could really hurt a child."

Clark and her neighbors said they have seen at least three bobcats on Shadow Brook Lane in Frisco. Clark said her view of the bobcat is one she'll never forget since it killed her Maltese named Luna.

"It happened so fast. She was just gone," Clark said.

According to Clark, on the morning of Nov. 29, she let Luna out in her backyard. One minute, the dog was there. The next, it was gone. She thought Luna was squirrel-chasing until a neighbor said, "A bobcat has Luna."

Clark said they saw the bobcat in a tree not far from her backyard. A homeowner was gracious enough to allow her to recover Luna from the bushes.

"At this point, I thought Luna was gone," she said. "But that wasn't the case."

Emergency care would keep the Maltese alive. There was no damage to her internal organs. The same could not be said of her trachea, which had been punctured lethally from the attack.

"I looked into her eyes until she took her last breath, and she knew I loved her," Clark said.

In the meantime, Clark said she needs help from the city, county, or state regarding her bobcat issue. Frisco Police said they have no record of this case but are working on another one involving a pet. Texas Parks and Wildlife said local game wardens have spoken with the family. That's all the information they could offer in Luna's case.

Police suggestions for dealing with bobcats

• Never feed wild animals.
• Never approach wild animals.
• If approached, make loud noises to scare the animal away.
• Keep pets up to date on vaccinations.
• Secure trash containers.
• Educate children about urban wildlife.

Texas Parks and Wildlife's guidance on bobcats  

TPWD said bobcats are found throughout Texas and typically avoid people.  In fact, people are often surprised to learn that bobcats are important predators in urban areas and keep other wildlife populations in check, especially rodents. Responsible precautions allow people and bobcats to safely co-exist within our cities.  The items below are most effective when implemented community-wide:   

Never intentionally feed wildlife. Feeding bobcats can result in habituation and undesirable behaviors. 

Don't feed wildlife accidentally. Bobcats will exploit any available food source. Because bobcats frequently eat rodents, anything that attracts rodents can also attract bobcats. The following actions can prevent bobcats from being attracted to your yard: 

• Keep pet food indoors 
• Sweep up fallen seed under bird feeders, or remove bird feeders completely 
• Pick up fallen fruit from trees 
• Remove firewood or brush piles  
• Secure trash 
• To keep pets safe, it is imperative that pet owners do not allow their pets to roam freely.
• Do not panic if you see a bobcat.

If a bobcat frequents an area, show them that they are not welcome. "Hazing" a bobcat, or showing it signs of aggression each time it is seen, will usually discourage its presence and help to re-establish its fear of humans. Bobcats respond to human actions, and negative behavior can often be corrected. Examples of hazing include: 

• Making loud noises such as yelling, clapping, blowing a whistle, hitting noisy objects together, or using an air horn 
• Waving hands, stomping feet, or jumping 
• Spraying water 
• Throwing small objects at the animal with the intent to hit