Latest news with #TorontoAnimalServices
CTV News
13-05-2025
- CTV News
Coyotes euthanized after attacks in two Toronto neighbourhoods
A sign on a pole in Ordnance Triangle Park warns of coyote seen in the area. (Janice Golding/CTV News Toronto) Two coyotes believed to be responsible for attacking several dogs in the Liberty Village and Fort York areas have been euthanized, the City of Toronto says. The municipality said that this 'difficult decision' comes amid a 'continuation of escalated interactions with coyotes' and follows a 'thoughtful and thorough' review that was conducted earlier this year and entailed staff using aversion techniques on coyotes, and educating residents on how to keep themselves and their pets safe. As part of this effort, the city also hired an independent panel to review its response and recommend next steps. At the time, the panel said that the culling of coyotes in the community was 'not supported by evidence and is unlikely to produce desired results.' 'While the City successfully supports wildlife in its natural habitat across Toronto, if animal behaviour changes in a way that jeopardizes public safety, then the city must take action to protect residents. This has been done as a last resort after all options were exhausted,' it said in a news release issued Tuesday. The city went on to say that Toronto Animal Services has confirmed that one coyote in the area was responsible for 'multiple negative encounters' and that its mate was 'present during some encounters.' 'This mated pair were humanely euthanized over the past few days following all provincial protocols and regulations. A third coyote has left the area, possibly due to increased aversion activities, which are unpleasant and unwelcoming to coyotes,' it said.
Global News
13-05-2025
- General
- Global News
Toronto euthanizes 2 coyotes after attacks reported in Fort York and Liberty Village
A pair of coyotes have been euthanized after a number of reported attacks in the Fort York and Liberty Village neighbourhoods, the City of Toronto said Tuesday. 'Like foxes, raccoons and deer, coyotes are a natural part of Toronto's urban landscape, coexisting with residents largely without issue,' a release from the city said. 'However, a unique situation has developed in recent months in the Fort York and Liberty Village neighbourhoods that required an escalated response to keep the public and pets safe.' In February, the Coyote Safety Coalition — a group representing residents in the two neighbourhoods — claimed six local coyote attacks occurred in a single night, including at least two that required emergency treatment for pet dogs. A panel hired by the city recommended setting up a specialized team to assess the coyotes, use 'adapted aversion techniques' and enforce laws against dumping and feeding wildlife. Story continues below advertisement 'Despite these actions, and consistent with independent assessments, it was identified that the Liberty Village and Fort York neighbourhoods have a confluence of several unique factors that have conditioned the coyotes to human interactions,' the release said. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'This conditioning has in turn led to injuries and pet attacks.' It went on to say that a number of issues led to the coyote problems, including habitat displacement and limited greenspace. It also cited the feeding of wildlife and uncollected dog excrement, which can attract rats, a food source for coyotes. The city said that animal services had determined that one of the coyotes was responsible for a number of the attacks while his mate was also there. Toronto officials believe that a third coyote has left the area and said it may have been due to increased aversion activities. A fourth coyote has not been seen in the area of late, according to the release, which also notes that it was not involved in interactions with people. Toronto has also created a multi-part Downtown Coyote Action Plan, which focuses on a number of areas including waste management, property maintenance and bylaw enforcement. 'Coyotes are an important part of Toronto's diverse ecology, helping to control rodent and rabbit populations,' Toronto Animal Services director Esther Attard stated. Story continues below advertisement 'Coyotes have adapted very well to life in the city as food and shelter are plentiful and natural predators are limited. So, these animals will continue to live near us.' *With files from The Canadian Press
CBC
13-05-2025
- CBC
2 problem coyotes in downtown Toronto have been euthanized, city says
The City of Toronto says it's made the "difficult decision" to euthanize two problem coyotes in the Fort York, Liberty Village area, where a high number of coyote attacks over the past six months have left multiple pets dead and locals concerned for their safety. In a news release Tuesday, the city said two coyotes had been humanely euthanized over the past few days following comprehensive reviews with external experts. "Toronto Animal Services was able to confirm that one coyote in the area was responsible for multiple negative encounters, and his mate was present during some encounters," the release said. "This has been done as a last resort after all options were exhausted." A third coyote has left the downtown area, according to the release, leaving just one known coyote in the Fort York, Liberty Village area. The remaining coyote has not recently been seen, the city says, and has shown no signs of being habituated to the presence of humans. Since the fall, people in the Fort York and Liberty Village neighbourhoods have raised safety concerns over a rise in coyote attacks, many of them involving pet owners and their dogs. Complaints prompted the city to begin sending regular coyote patrols into the area and create a downtown coyote action plan. The city has also worked to improve lighting in the communities, repair fences, remove food sources and educate locals on how to deter coyotes and protect themselves against attacks. WATCH | Experts recommend ways city can respond to problem coyotes: Here's how experts say Toronto should tackle its coyote problem 2 months ago Duration 2:49 The city has announced plans to address the growing coyote problem in Liberty Village and Fort York, where several dogs have been attacked recently. Greg Ross reports. Despite this, attacks have persisted. Between November 2024 and April 2025, the city says it received 335 reports of coyotes in Ward 10, where Fort York and Liberty Village are located. Citywide, reported coyote attacks on dogs have gone up from 36 in 2019 to 91 in 2024. Since November, the city says two dogs in the Fort York and Liberty Village area have been killed by coyotes. The city continues to support co-habitation of wildlife and humans in the city, Tuesday's release said, but "if animal behaviour changes in a way that jeopardizes public safety, then the City must take action to protect residents." An independent, third-party report released in March found that relocation is not a viable option, as provincial legislation prevents coyotes from being moved more than one kilometre. That report found the prevalence of coyote encounters in the area stems from coyotes becoming conditioned to associate humans in the area as sources of food because of direct or indirect feeding. The report also found that local condo construction, and the redevelopment of nearby Ontario Place, have pushed the coyote population further into surrounding neighbourhoods.
CBC
13-03-2025
- CBC
Toronto woman pleads guilty to negligence in dog attack that seriously injured child
Social Sharing A Toronto woman who faced multiple charges in a dog attack that seriously injured a child has pleaded guilty to some of them, including a criminal charge of negligence. Court records show Patrycja Siarek entered the pleas in a Toronto court last Friday. She had also been charged with infractions under the provincial Dog Owners' Liability Act and Toronto's municipal code. Siarek was arrested roughly a year ago after an off-leash dog bit and dragged a child in a Toronto park, leaving the child with what police described as life-altering injuries. The dog, meanwhile, was turned over to Toronto Animal Services. A spokesperson for the city confirmed the dog was euthanized last August, while Siarek's other dogs were rehomed. Court documents in a separate case showed Siarek and her partner had previously sparked several complaints at a Toronto condominium over the behaviour of their dogs, who were then labelled "dangerous" by the city. The documents showed the two American pocket bullies were ordered to be kept muzzled in public areas, but the orders were ignored, and an Ontario court deemed Siarek and her partner to be "irresponsible" owners.
