Note: The Wildlife Rescue Society of Saskatchewan doesn’t appear to endorse or promote the actions of conservation officers on any of their media.  https://www.wrsos.org/

My thoughts on the coyotes in Saskatchewan.  Saskatchewan Association of Conservation Officers I will agree to disagree on the method.  I don’t personally think shooting is quick or painless.  If they were domesticated dogs, there would have been a different approach.  And unlike chemical euthanasia, the animal feels their injuries, their last moments are hell.  With chemical euthanasia the animal is peaceful.  Watching another animal be shot is also stressful on the other animal.  And we do not know if the animal perhaps does feel a bullet. Some people think running an animal down with a snowmobile is humane if the animal dies quickly.  We both agree that running an animal down with a snowmobile is not humane.  I suggest next time bring an injured coyote to a local humane society, even if they end up euthanazing, it is not stressful or violent.  An SPCA can handle aggressive stray dogs, who are carnivores.  It used to be believed that gassing was humane.  We now know it is not.  I believe that, in a few years, burning a hole in an animal with a loud hot sharp piece of lead or steel is not euthanasia.  What is good about being shot by law enforcement?  

Sadly, in Saskatchewan, coyotes are considered “pests”.  They are really not that different than a pet dog.  

How is shooting an animal a pretty easy decision to make?  Veterinarians never find euthanasia easy, and they use peaceful methods of euthanasia.  

Shooting causes death from a fatal stroke and traumatic head injury.  The coyotes had faced incredible cruelty and violence, then faced even more violence by being hit with bullets.  

There are plenty of rehabilitation centres that rehabilitate coyotes quite successfully.  http://www.torontowildlifecentre.com 
Sadly, in Saskatchewan, coyote rehabilitation is banned.  The province needs to allow coyote rehabilitation, and permit the SPCA to enforce the wildlife laws and attend to wildlife.  

Nicole Corrado

On Jan 18, 2026, at 7:15 PM, Osborne, Cody CPPS cody.osborne@gov.sk.ca wrote:

Thanks for your concern Nicole. However, SPCAs are not qualified or permitted to care for, handle, or possess wildlife. 

There is the Wildlife Rescue Society of Saskatchewan (WRSOS) that can connect to wildlife rehabilitators, but has stated in comments, conservation officers are certainly qualified to determine the health of wildlife. While it may not be to veterinary standards, the experience with wildlife is certainly more so than the general public. 

Coyotes, like many predators, would pose quite the challenge to capture, handle, and rehabilitate due to their aggressive-when-cornered nature. That, given the extent of its injures in this case, made it a pretty easy decision that euthanasia on site was the best scenario. 

Again, we appreciate your concern for the animals, but please trust us when we say that conservation officers do act in the best interest of the animals, even if you don't like the outcome. 

Cody O. 
SaskTIP Communications Coordinator