# Coyotes at our house last night at 10 PM.



## CountryGirl2 (Jun 23, 2008)

We live in a small area too. Not a lot of people or things happening, But....Then I saw this article while looking about Coyotes habits.

You might want to read it.

http://missionviejodispatch.com/2008/06/09...our-little-dog/


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## njdrake (Apr 23, 2007)

When I was in Naples Florida my groomer told me there were some coyotes spotted in our neighborhood. My husband is still down there and he told me recently that in Estero (close to Naples) they are using traps. He said there's been several dogs killed there and the coyotes are getting really aggressive. We also have some here but I've never heard much about them. I think it's really scary with these little dogs!


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## 3Maltmom (May 23, 2005)

Yep, in December I had a crazy coyote hanging around my house.

It was awful. He grabbed a little Chihuahua while my friend (neighbor) was
walking him, in broad daylight.

He got several cats, and another little dog, who was on a retractable leash.

Be very careful. Just last month we had one nearby try to get a little kid
out of a sandbox.


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## Lennabella (Mar 29, 2007)

Sad, - I do live in Mission Viejo and I can tell you first hand that I lost my beloved Max I, to a coyotte in January of 2001 ..

We have moved her 6 months earlier and were not aware of the coyotee situation .. we don't have a front fence and live off a small canyon.

I was used to letting him out in Michigan, we'd open the garage door about 18" and he'd go under - do his business and come right back inside.

It was late and he followed me to the garage while I put something in the fridge - he looked at me as if to say he wanted to go pee ... I opened the garage door a little and he went under. I went back inside and a few minutes later realised that he didn't come back. I went outside and couldn't find him, went upstairs to the girls rooms to see if he was with them, then I panicked, my husband went out in his car to look around the neighbourhood while I stood outside the little park that is next to our home (literally separated by a hedge) ..

I heard a rustle of leaves and when I turned around, I saw the coyotee with Max's lifeless body in his mouth, I screamed so loud but no one was around, my husband then drove into our cul-de-sac and I waved to him to come and help me - it was then that the coyotee took of with Max .. - it was pitch black and I wanted to go after him but my husband stopped me because he thought there would be a hungry pack waiting or rattle snakes.

I was devasted, I couldn't go inside but deep down I knew Max was dead, it was awful -finally I came inside and cried till morning wondering what I was going to tell the girls.

The next day I went down the canyon to find his collar - no luck ..

Friends told me to go to the shelter incase I was wrong in what I saw ..I did but there was no Max there :smcry: 

That whole day - my husband and his employees called around for a Maltese, the girls were crying and I wanted to replace him immediately, it's just the way I handled it at the time, finally, my husband called me and said - "get the kids in the car we are going to get a Maltese" ... 

Yes he was from a pet store - yes, I didn't know better - but Max II would never have replaced the first one but he did fill our house with laughter and silly antics and made the blow of losing Max I a bit softer.

I know many of you wouldn't agree but he's turned out to be a good boy and he's 7 1/2 years old now.

There's my story and this is why I was so panicked for Atticus - I was so scared that he would not be found but he had the happiest ending in Maltese history I think. :thumbsup:

EDIT: I am used to them now - Father's Day Sunday, I was outside greeting my in-laws and there was one in the park staring straight at our house. I saw the same one at 7:30 in the morning last week while I was taking my daughter to school ... yep - it's a common sighting.


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## CeeCee's Mom (Sep 14, 2006)

Oh my goodness, I just read your story about Max I and the coyote!!!! That must have been the most horrible thing to live through~~~just simply horrible!!!!! Is your baby potty trained on a pad now?? I can see how you worried about Atticus because of that happening to you!!!

.........and Deb said that a coyote tried to attack a small child~~what is going on with them?? Here in NC I have read that they are attacking dogs!!!! Of course, these are usually rabid around here. 

Try to keep your babies safe!!!!


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## 3Maltmom (May 23, 2005)

Here's last month's article:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,354054,00.html


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## 3Maltmom (May 23, 2005)

Here's another scary one, from last month.

A coyote followed a dog through the doggie door, and into the house. :new_shocked: 

http://www.knbc.com/news/16206083/detail.html


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## njdrake (Apr 23, 2007)

QUOTE (LennaBella @ Jun 23 2008, 10:02 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=595809


> Sad, - I do live in Mission Viejo and I can tell you first hand that I lost my beloved Max I, to a coyotte in January of 2001 ..
> 
> We have moved her 6 months earlier and were not aware of the coyotee situation .. we don't have a front fence and live off a small canyon.
> 
> ...





What a sad story  That must have been horrible! I can't imagine watching and not being able to do anything. I'm so sorry you lost your Max that way.


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## njdrake (Apr 23, 2007)

After reading all this I'm really getting worried. I knew we had coyotes around here but I've never really heard anything about them causing any problems. My neighbors across the street said they heard 5 or 6 down at the end of our dead end street about a week ago. I watch the girls close but we have a wooden privacy fence so when we go out they run out into the yard and I watch them from the porch. I really didn't think anything could get in this yard but now I'm not sure. I guess I'll be running out there with them. I always leave the screen open a little so they can lay on the porch in the day time but I'm thinking now that might not be safe it they will even attack in the day light.


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## CountryGirl2 (Jun 23, 2008)

It is a sign of the times I'm afraid..., so we ALL need to be on our toes about our kids and pets , and I thought people were the only perpetrators to worry about. :shocked: 

Good thing this is being posted now rather then later.


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## Kissi's Mom (Apr 21, 2006)

I live in a rural area in Va and there are coyotes all over the place here. The scary thing is many are apparently being (or have been) released here. My son-in-law was told about 2 yrs. ago that they actually had a "hunt" form one Saturday morning on a dairy farm because they were loosing so many calves (and cows). They killed 33 coyotes in one morning, most of them had tags with numbers on their ears which means they had been caught somewhere else and brought to our area and released. This makes NOOOOO sense to me. About a year ago my son-in-law was bow hunting and found himself sitting in a treestand with a coyote sitting under the stand looking up at him, he said it was pretty unnerving because the coyote showed no fear. SCARY!
I don't let Kissi go outside at all without me.
Linda


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## sophie (Jul 9, 2006)

I live in a small city right outside of New Orleans - less than 15 miles from the parish line and in a fully built-out tightly packed suburb about a mile from Lake Pontchartrain. I never dreamed coyotes were anywhere around here in all my life until after Katrina one was spotted less than a mile from my house on the levee. I mentioned it to the vet one day and he informed me there was more than one and they were traveling from the lake levee to the river levee which is quite a distance away. They'd had been spotted just trotting down the middle of the streets! Sadly, it is believed that they've killed many cats and possibly some dogs. But, so far they've been able to avoid being trapped. I can't imagine where they came from, but I hope they are able to trap them soon.


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## theboyz (Jan 10, 2007)

We live in Northern Lower Michigan. We have had a Coyote in our yard.
Two of our friends have lost Malts to coyotes and one to an Owl.

We aware and keep a watch on your babies at all times!!!


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## MissMelanie (Feb 13, 2006)

:new_shocked: Holy Fluffing Cows.... I can't even imagine the pain of losing your pet to a wild animal... let alone SEE it happen. I am so sorry this has happened.

I know that around here, there is a family of foxes. Or at least there use to be. One day my son ran inside and told me, "MOM, my foxes had a baby!" I almost fell over.... "YOUR foxes?!" WHAT THE HECK?

And I know when we lived in Boca, I would see foxes running along A1A... it just was so odd looking to me. For goodness sake, I am a CITY GIRL. B) 

Melanie


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## Lacie's Mom (Oct 11, 2006)

Having grown up in the SW (Arizona and then Southern California and now NM), I have always been aware of Coyotes. I have several friends in Scottsdale who have had their small dog "snatched" by a Coyote. When we moved to NM, I insisted that we put up a 10 foot fence in the backyard -- there were other reasons for this besides the coyotes.

About a month ago, I was driving to the office when 2 coyotes came running down the main street of my small gated community. This was about 7:30 in the morning, and I believe that they were coming from the golf course going toward the river bottom, but, still to have them this close right inside of a neighborhood -- it was very frightening. I had to turn around and go check on Lacie and Tilly even though that wasn't the direction the coyotes came from nor the direction they were headed. Just needed the reassurance that my girls were safe.


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

We have coyotes here in the Atlanta suburbs, and a lot of hawks. Nikki is a mostly inside dog. She's not fond of going outside so it works out okay for both of us. When I take her outside, she's always looking toward our front door, and can't wait to get back inside. Maybe she knows something I don't know...

I feel bad for the coyotes because they have lost their habitat, but on the other hand I don't want them in my backyard. No thank you.


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## PuttiePie (Nov 22, 2006)

We live in a very rural setting...We have many predators that would be only too happy to snack on our Malts. For thius reason, they are NEVER allowed to venture out of doors without a human and they are mostly only allowed on our deck..We have fox, wolves, bear, Fisher Cats, Hawks, Eagles...you name it, we have it....Please , everyone, keep close watch on your precious little ones...


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## I found nemo (Feb 23, 2006)

:shocked: OMG that is so scary


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## Lennabella (Mar 29, 2007)

I found this topic from 6 months ago - how ironic ....
Look at the response from the Dept of Fish and Game on each posting in the blog ..

I don't feel sorry for coyotes that have lost their habitat - they can trap and relocate them - they don't pay the expensive taxes we do ......

If the city was so worried about their natural habitat - they shouldn't have built these homes.

They're not a cute friendly animal, they are predators that lurk around our homes.

My husband saw one at the back of the mall the other night snooping around the dumpsters.


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## CeeCee's Mom (Sep 14, 2006)

I dislike coyotes, period!!! In any shape or form..........After what happened to Lina, I can't understand why the wildlife, fish and game don't do something to help more!!!! I remember reading about Hollywood stars that lived in the canyons around LA and how their little dogs were dragged away by these creatures, never to be seen again. I guess I am still angry about what happened and the horrible pain Lina and her family felt!!! I think about Bella and I know Lina is showing her extra attention because of missing little Max. Thanks for listening to my vent..........


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## gatiger40 (Jun 7, 2007)

The sad truth is it's going to take some human babies and small children getting attacked to make them do something about the coyote problem. Not that I wish that on anyone, but it seems that the only time government gets involved is when there has been a human involved.

It's so sad that to most of us, our Maltese are our family and babies, but most of the world see them as pets( property) and the public outcry isn't as loud.


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## Lennabella (Mar 29, 2007)

Maybe the "The Real Housewives of Orange County" should do an episode on this instead of going around buying diamonds (last weeks episode was at our cousins Jewellery store in Michigan) ... or buying expensive boats - I know they live up the road and they are really right off "Riley Wilderness Park" ...


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## dwerten (Oct 6, 2007)

We have coyotes, hawks and owls where i live and we had one in our backyard in the middle of the night looking in the slider and the dogs went crazy and i woke up to seeing it staring in our home - freaked me out so mine are wee wee pad trained and only go out with us for short periods of time. Also an owl took away a maltese at a party my friend was at with 25 standing around. Coyotes are very brave. Another friend of mine had a doggie door which i do not like as creatures can come in and little dogs go out any time and her two chihuahuas went outside and only one came back at 8:00 am and she found the others leg only  

Also a woman was walking her two shih tzus around the westlake lake and a pack of coyotes at noon approached her and she ran behind a metal gate because they were coming straight for her in the middle of the day and she could not beleive how brave they were. 

It is scary so living in california we have to be really careful of those 3 predators. I hate being so paranoid but i am from what i have seen and heard. 

Coyotes can scale block walls as we have a block wall and i have seen them doing it running in the streets


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## LJSquishy (Feb 27, 2008)

I have mixed feelings about coyotes lurking around people's homes. Really, it's their habitat, and they deserve to be there. On the other hand, it's not fair for people to lose pets over it.

I do feel like if you are going to live in an area that has coyotes so close, you should have a tall fence/stone wall to surround your back yard, and maybe have some sort of shorter fence in your front yard. If the coyotes get your pet, you weren't watching your pet closely enough. I have a fenced backyard (with no coyotes or other predators) and I still take London out on a leash everytime she goes potty. The only time she's off-leash is when I'm outside playing with her running around. It's no different than having a toddler -- you would never let them out of your sight outdoors, even for a second.

I'm so sorry for any who have lost pets to coyotes or other predators, and I wish you all the best and healing hearts. :crying:


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## Max & Rocky (May 20, 2004)

QUOTE (njdrake @ Jun 23 2008, 08:59 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=595823


> I watch the girls close but we have a wooden privacy fence so when we go out they run out into the yard and I watch them from the porch. I really didn't think anything could get in this yard but now I'm not sure. I guess I'll be running out there with them.[/B]


Coyotes are very agile and good jumpers and just having a human nearby will sometimes not be enough to keep them away.

One lady not all that far from us took her little dog outside for potty in the morning (a year or more ago). The lady was in a robe and still sleepy but noticed a movement in the darkness. It turned out to be a coyote walking on top of her block wall (bordering a wash area). The block wall was taller than normal as there were other houses further up a hill, probably around 7 foot tall but the coyote had no problem getting up there.

Then last Christmas while we were getting vaccinations for Snowy's babies, we were there early one morning and there was another couple there with a beautiful Bichon who had been seriously injured by a coyote, but survived. They lived on a golf course and the husband had taken their dog out. The husband was within a few feet of their dog the entire time, but this had not prevented the coyote from attacking and getting their dog around the neck (and this boy was even larger then our 18 pound Rocky) but somehow the husband got the attack stopped and rushed him to the vets. When we saw them, he was well on his way to recovery as the attack has been a week or so before.

Then as I think I have said before, I ran into one last year (or two years ago?) over at a relatives house who lives in Monrovia CA and backs up against the hills there. Luckily it was just me and I did not have the boys with me.


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## Maidto2Maltese (Oct 19, 2004)

We had a coyote in our yard... it was hidden behind a little utility shed..I'd have walked rith next to it with my baby had she not known first 'something' was there and got into a 'stance' and started growling. ! Our security light had come on so I could then see it as it started out toward us. I picked up the dog and yelled at it but it simply showed its teeth and growled at me... THAT scared the bejeebers outta me I can tell ya! 
I took the dog inside and gathered my composure. I knew I had to NOT let it think it had 'chased me off'... so I went to the porch... opened the door and waved my arms to set off the security light... and saw it was still there. I took a deep breath and ran off the porch screaming and flailing my arms at it and it DID take off. I now always take a flashlight and search for "eyes" within the shadows. 

I can often hear the new pups in the distance ... I was told there is a pack over in the area of a power plant a couple miles away.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

I think everyone who takes their dogs outside in areas where there are coyotes should carry bear repellent with them. A trainer on another forum said even Muzzle (doggie mace) won't stop a determined attacker. She suggested bear repellent.


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## xo daisy baby ox (Nov 9, 2008)

QUOTE (dwerten @ Dec 5 2008, 08:29 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=683358


> We have coyotes, hawks and owls where i live and we had one in our backyard in the middle of the night looking in the slider and the dogs went crazy and i woke up to seeing it staring in our home - freaked me out so mine are wee wee pad trained and only go out with us for short periods of time. Also an owl took away a maltese at a party my friend was at with 25 standing around. Coyotes are very brave. Another friend of mine had a doggie door which i do not like as creatures can come in and little dogs go out any time and her two chihuahuas went outside and only one came back at 8:00 am and she found the others leg only
> 
> Also a woman was walking her two shih tzus around the westlake lake and a pack of coyotes at noon approached her and she ran behind a metal gate because they were coming straight for her in the middle of the day and she could not beleive how brave they were.
> 
> ...



I have seen coyotes in Westlake in the gas station parking lot! It is absolutely insane. I have even seen them here in Oxnard near the airport just walking along the highway. I was at a friends house in Newbury Park about a year ago, we were sitting in his backyard by the pool playing with his new little shih tzu puppy Dolce and their other shih tzu Oreo when all of a sudden a huge bird flew over us and dropped something in the backyard, we ran over to see what it was and it was a teeny tiny little puppy, probably only about 1-2lbs, the bird had snatched it up out of a backyard about a block away and dropped it mid-flight in my friends backyard! That freaked us both out seeing as we both have small pets! We checked the puppy over and it looked to only have some scratches and small gashes but was ok and alive! We were able to return him to his owner, but had the bird not dropped him, their puppy would be long gone! It's so sad and so scary all of the wild animals that you have to be aware of stalking your babies in your own yard!!!


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## revakb2 (Sep 8, 2006)

Coyotes at not just out west. We have them in my neighborhood on the west coast of Florida. Add to that hawks, eagles, owls, alligators, 40 kinds of poisonous snakes, rats and assorted other nasty wildlife and life can be challenging. Bogie never leaves the house without a leash on. The other night while we were walking in a our very residential neighborhood, there was an owl sitting on my neighbor's mailbox. He definitely was eyeing us. Since at the time I didn't think it was real, I walked right up to it. It didn't move until I was within a foot of it. If Bogie had been loose, there's no doubt this owl would have gone for Bogie. It was a mighty big owl. Several people in the neighborhood have lost dogs to alligators, mostly because they were off lead or escaped from their owners yards. There have been numerous coyote sightings here recently. I guess all we can do is be vigilant and as careful as possible. Be aware we are not alone.


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## sophie (Jul 9, 2006)

I live in a suburb of New Orleans (a very dense residential area - although not far from a levee and the lake) and we've had coyote sightings here that have been verified by the Department of Wildlife who did attempt to trap, but were unsuccessful. I haven't heard anything about them lately, but a few months back my vet and I were talking about it - I thought it was just a lone coyote - but he said no it was a pack and that his brother had seen them traveling down the middle of his street one evening like it was something they did every day. He hinted that some pets had been taken. We also have hawks and before Katrina we did have a huge owl that lived in a tree in the back. We just need to be as vigilant as possible and, unfortunately, as we've seen in Lina's case, even the most vigilant owners sometimes lose their little loved ones. 

I do take the dogs out in the back yard and let them run around in a large pen, but I'm right in there with them. 

Linda


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## 08chrissy08 (Sep 19, 2008)

My parents lost a toy poodle to a coyote. They had gone on a cruise and the neighbor was coming over a few times a day to take care of the animals. She let the poodle out in the evening and was cleaning up an accident she had had while inside. The poodle was a prime example of a backyard bred dog and had a lot of health problems including one that made it difficult for her to hold it when she had to go. When the neighbor went outside to get her, the poodle ran away from her. It's something she always did after having an accident in the house. She knows she isn't supposed to go in there and while she was never hit or punished for it, she would still get really upset and run away from people. So she ran and the neighbor followed. She went into the creek behind the house and the neighbor got there just in time to watch a coyote grab her and haul her off. It was a truly horrible experience for everyone involved.


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## dwerten (Oct 6, 2007)

in our area there have been dogs on leashes swooped off by hawks as the owner was walking them  it is scary i always worry that and dogs coming out with no leash which happens -- i am the paranoid dog mom -lol


QUOTE (revakb2 @ Dec 5 2008, 05:40 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=683510


> Coyotes at not just out west. We have them in my neighborhood on the west coast of Florida. Add to that hawks, eagles, owls, alligators, 40 kinds of poisonous snakes, rats and assorted other nasty wildlife and life can be challenging. Bogie never leaves the house without a leash on. The other night while we were walking in a our very residential neighborhood, there was an owl sitting on my neighbor's mailbox. He definitely was eyeing us. Since at the time I didn't think it was real, I walked right up to it. It didn't move until I was within a foot of it. If Bogie had been loose, there's no doubt this owl would have gone for Bogie. It was a mighty big owl. Several people in the neighborhood have lost dogs to alligators, mostly because they were off lead or escaped from their owners yards. There have been numerous coyote sightings here recently. I guess all we can do is be vigilant and as careful as possible. Be aware we are not alone.[/B]


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## dwerten (Oct 6, 2007)

hey you live by me -- I grew up in oxnard and now live in Newbury Park -- is there a maltese meet up here?


QUOTE (Xo Daisy Baby oX @ Dec 5 2008, 04:55 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=683494


> QUOTE (dwerten @ Dec 5 2008, 08:29 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=683358





> We have coyotes, hawks and owls where i live and we had one in our backyard in the middle of the night looking in the slider and the dogs went crazy and i woke up to seeing it staring in our home - freaked me out so mine are wee wee pad trained and only go out with us for short periods of time. Also an owl took away a maltese at a party my friend was at with 25 standing around. Coyotes are very brave. Another friend of mine had a doggie door which i do not like as creatures can come in and little dogs go out any time and her two chihuahuas went outside and only one came back at 8:00 am and she found the others leg only
> 
> Also a woman was walking her two shih tzus around the westlake lake and a pack of coyotes at noon approached her and she ran behind a metal gate because they were coming straight for her in the middle of the day and she could not beleive how brave they were.
> 
> ...



I have seen coyotes in Westlake in the gas station parking lot! It is absolutely insane. I have even seen them here in Oxnard near the airport just walking along the highway. I was at a friends house in Newbury Park about a year ago, we were sitting in his backyard by the pool playing with his new little shih tzu puppy Dolce and their other shih tzu Oreo when all of a sudden a huge bird flew over us and dropped something in the backyard, we ran over to see what it was and it was a teeny tiny little puppy, probably only about 1-2lbs, the bird had snatched it up out of a backyard about a block away and dropped it mid-flight in my friends backyard! That freaked us both out seeing as we both have small pets! We checked the puppy over and it looked to only have some scratches and small gashes but was ok and alive! We were able to return him to his owner, but had the bird not dropped him, their puppy would be long gone! It's so sad and so scary all of the wild animals that you have to be aware of stalking your babies in your own yard!!!
[/B][/QUOTE]


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