do not leave food out for dogs/cats. make sure your garbage cans are secure. the fecal matter can be quite dangerous if you have an outdoor sandbox for the kids. don't assume our dog will chase them off, they may attack you and you may find yourself needing rabies shots. I once placed a trap cage out for them, and the two babies were captured. The mother and father worked all thru the night to rescue them attempted to drag the cage across the street. (I did let them go).