From my good friend Stephen Young…
For the second time in as many months in the same area of Whitby, a dog was attacked and killed by coyotes.
The second incident happened on April 22, around 9 p.m., when Durham Regional Police were called to a home in the Thickson Road and Burns Street area. The complainant reported his small dog, described as a maltese-poodle cross, was attacked in the unfenced yard. The owner witnessed the incident and was able to retrieve the deceased dog from a nearby hydro easement property, where the coyotes were last seen running towards. The dog owner wasn’t physically hurt.
In March, a dog was snatched by coyotes in the Dundas Street and Nichol Avenue area.
For more information on coyotes, call the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) office at 905-713-7400, or your local animal services office.
The MNR website gives a number of safety tips regarding coyotes:
- Do not approach them. They’re usually wary of humans, but they’re wild and should not be approached.
- Do not feed them. It makes them less fearful of humans and habituates them to food provided by people. Plus, they may return to the area for more.
- If you encounter a coyote, don’t turn your back on it or run from it. Back away from it while remaining calm. It’s a good idea to use whistles and personal alarm devices to frighten them if they do approach or pose a threat.
- Secure garbage by properly storing it and maintaining garbage containers. Place trash bins inside an enclosed structure to prevent small rodents.
- Put garbage at the curb the morning of the pickup, rather than the night before.
- Use enclosed compost bins rather than exposed piles (NOTE: coyotes are especially attracted to dog and cat waste, meat, milk and eggs).
- Keep bird feeders from overflowing as coyotes like fruit, nuts and seeds. Keep pet food indoors.
- Close off crawl spaces under porches, decks and sheds. Coyotes can use these areas to raise their young.
If you feel a coyote is posing an immediate threat or a danger to public safety, call 911
