So far it's working for me. I live near the middle of nowhere among farms and woodlands and part of the reason I moved out here is because of the wildlife. We've got everything from weasels to black bears and cougars living nearby or passing through, including a healthy population of coyotes that average about 60 lbs in size. I love animals of all sorts and have rehabbed a variety of them (including possums) on occasion; I don't delude myself that wild animals are anything other than what they are- living creatures who are doing what they are naturally designed to do in order to live. They aren't pets, they aren't Disney animals, and they aren't evil entities who only exist to kill. The yard is fenced to keep my Jack Russells safe, the chicken run and separate pasture are fenced to keep the chickens safe (including from the dogs), and the garden I'm putting in this spring will be fenced to protect it from the chickens, dogs, and wildlife. The chickens are secured in the coop at night and I don't let my dogs out at night for bathroom breaks without close supervision in case something (especially coyotes) has come inside the fence. I figure I have done everything possible to make a safe place for my pets while allowing the local wildlife to go about their business. If something should befall one of my pets it will be my fault, not that of an animal that was acting naturally. I don't fault others for taking what actions they feel they need to and I know there are those that disagree with my methods but I say to each his own.
