Toronto Dog Owners Warning Of Terrifying Coyote Encounters Throughout The GTA

As a dog owner, taking your pups out for long strolls seems to be the best past time, especially with the weather warming up. However, one Reddit user is warning Toronto dog owners to use caution after they reported a coyote attack within the GTA. The user reports a coyote stalking their dog down the trail before they were able to get to safety. Dog owners are now being warned to take caution, especially since this isn't the first time this happened in the GTA. 

In the recent Reddit post, the user encountered an experience where they were walking their dog on Betty Sutherland trail when they came face to face with a coyote. The dog owner reports that they screamed and attempted to scare off the coyote, but it didn't budge and proceeded to follow them slowly, staying about 6-8 feet away. 

The user accounts that they attempted to scare the coyote off for about 20 mins as they tried to exit the trail, but did not get rid of the coyote until they hit the road. Another user confirmed the coyote risk, stating that the Don Valley area is always full of coyotes like that one that aren't scared of people. 

This user also says that a lot of these creatures are used to people and often don't scare easy, some of them even are bold enough to regularly come within a few feet of humans.

Sadly, this isn't the first time that these kinds of encounters have happened within the GTA. In January, CP24 reported on a case in Markham where a woman was walking her dog down a residential street, mid-morning when she crossed paths with a coyote. 

The woman reportedly picked up her dog and started yelling while chucking snow at the animal. However, the coyote wasn't scared off until a nearby neighbour rushed outside and started banging a shovel.

Another case occurred in October when NewsTalk 610 reported on a case where a dog owner was walking his dog through some trails in Hamilton when a group of coyotes attacked his golden doodle and tragically ended up killing the dog. 

According to Hamilton Spectator, there are a few things that you can do in order to protect yourself and your beloved dog against coyote attacks. If you are approached by a coyote make loud noises and stretch your arms and legs out in an attempts to make yourself look bigger and to scare the creature off. 

Always carry a whistle while out walking and blow it loudly if you encounter a coyote. You should also always stay calm and never run away from the creature. 

Finally, make sure to always have your cellphone on you in case of an emergency and never leave your dogs alone in areas where there is known coyote activity.