UPDATE: Since I started this petition more dogs have been killed by Coyotes in the City of Toronto and the coyotes continue to roam free. Same ineffective city response, different neighbourhood. Hazing just moves them on to some other unsuspecting neighbourhood.

Recently, my family was violently attacked by a pack of 8 coyotes while out for an afternoon walk in broad daylight at our local park, critically injuring one of our family dogs and my husband who fought to save him. Both our mid-sized dogs were on leash as we took our regular route through the park. We were close together and yelled out, doing everything the City advises you to do when you see a coyote. The neighbours heard the commotion and were yelling too. But it was too late and totally ineffective against a pack of coyotes. The pack was hunting and had surrounded us by the time we noticed them. We had to fight our way out of the park, past the childcare yard to the parking lot, as the coyotes continued to move in and try to kill our dogs. Our walk in the City park ended at the Emergency Vet Clinic and Hospital Emergency Room. One of my dogs spent the next week fighting for his life in ICU and my husband and I returned home from the Hospital the following morning.

We’re not alone—many residents have and continue to suffer similar or worse coyote attacks in our parks and on our streets. 

Ours was not an isolated incident. We have learned since our traumatic attack that this pack of coyotes relocated from another park where it was known for years that coyotes were stalking and killing dogs. On separate occasions, on the same weekend of our attack, the pack attacked and hurt two other large dogs. Wish we had known. We wouldn't have gone anywhere near there. We also learned this pack had been stalking, hurting and killing family pets for months in the surrounding neighbourhoods. The incidents are not isolated to one park but have occurred throughout many neighbourhoods, on the streets and in residents' yards at all times of the day. Residents have resorted to walking their dogs carrying whistles, weapons and coyote spray. And the coyotes continue to roam around freely. Who knows where they are now or where they will appear and attack next.   

Coyote packs in large numbers are terrorizing our neighbourhoods, stalking and attacking our dogs, and making our parks and streets unsafe. Yet, despite the growing threat, City officials don’t consider this a community safety issue and refuse to act. 

This inaction is unacceptable. We need immediate, effective and proactive measures to address this crisis.  The coyotes have become invasive and aggressive. They are large and healthy, capable of picking up and carrying a 30Lb dog and have no predator in the urban environment. Their numbers need to be controlled and those no longer afraid of humans removed. The City staff will not remove coyotes if they attack and kill family pets. They say it's normal and we need to co-exist. It’s unacceptable to have urban wildlife stalking and killing our family pets and terrorizing city residents. It's not normal for a family walking their dogs in a city park to be attacked by a pack of coyotes! The health and safety of residents and their family pets should be the priority. It should not take serious human injury for the City to act- Remove Dangerous Coyote Packs. 

I started this petition because I don't want another family to experience the physical and emotional trauma and financial expense my family has incurred as a result of the City's inaction and the City's dangerous coyote management policies. 

Sign this petition and share your stories to demand that Mayor Chow and City officials recognize the severity of this problem and remove the dangerous coyotes packs terrorizing our neighbourhoods and change their ineffective policies now before more family pets or a child gets attacked.