Recently a resident of New Toronto emailed me and said he frequently took his small dog to Sam Smith park. He mentioned that over the winter he'd heard reports that coyotes were in the park and also that coyotes had snatched or attacked dogs in other parts of Toronto.
As an animal lover, he was wondering wonder if they can be humanely trapped and transported somewhere up north? Because as he said it may only be a matter of time before a small dog is attacked in Sam Smith park.
So the question is how are other small-dog owners coping with this?
Is anyone else avoiding Sam Smith?
My Response;
According to the Toronto Wildlife Centre they say that most coyotes will not approach a human. I assume they mean that a small dog is not a target if they are on leash or with their owner. That being said, a coyote attacking a cat or small dog is completely within normal activity. I guess that means keep your dog on leash and your cats indoors if you are concerned. Essentially, they offer no other real solutions because as the website points out, wild animals are wild and as long as they pose no threat to humans they will not be trapped or removed from the park.
I hope that helps and all our dogs, big and small, stay safe.
Best of luck
Maria
