Demand Ottawa and area have a humane wildlife strategy
Demand Ottawa and area have a humane wildlife strategy
The Issue
https://engage.ottawa.ca/wildlife-strategy-review
https://www.wildlifeinfo.ca/uploads/6/5/8/0/65805765/ocwc_spring_2023.pdf
In January 2026, police came to Brantwood Park for a coyote who was injured. They were referred by 311 and told the caller they would shoot animals since they have no humane training.
“I saw them both (the injured one looked like its front paws may have been caught up in a string or wire) and called 311 as well and they referred me to non-emergency line with OPS who were there promptly. The city operator told me the wildlife services with the city are for small animals, an bigger ones the refer the caller to OPS. If the coyote (second one spotted across the river either its mate or mother) seen is aggressive they will “put them down” (shoot the coyote). The police don’t have access to tranquilizers or poles for capture. The officers also said if you see one to make a lot of noise and not turn your back, moving away from it.”
In June 2025, Police made a very ignorant choice to shoot this cub. Bears can survive broken legs, and there is an amazing bear rescue, Bear With Us Bear Sanctuary, that can provide help all across Ontario. No need to shoot a bear. Especially not an injured cub. The places the police contacted were municipal bylaw, the pro hunting Ministry of Natural Resources, and the Nature Conservancy of Canada, which is a land trust, not a wildlife rehabilitation centre. Not having an organization nearby does not justify shooting an animal. The bear was shot probably because they were blocking the highway and the police didn’t want to wait several more hours for a humane response. https://ottawa.citynews.ca/2025/06/10/young-bear-killed-after-hit-and-run-on-hwy-7/?fbclid=IwVERFWAMzEs1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHtXEhvtQFaEW0cYFldyuN3aLRTdUr_Yv3majgVbba87LeSe6jQetj9X_bfix_aem_-3_gYWwovWpKeNf_JWNiNQ
Contrast this with August 2025, where a bear was rescued and relocated in Kanata.
In 2023, a bear cub was shot 14 times by Ottawa Police simply because they were in a city. The bear was harming no one and was trying to run away from people. Also, Ottawa hires trappers to leg hold trap, strangle snare, and kill coyotes or has police shoot them, has police or conservation officers shoot large animals, and hires trappers to drown trap beavers. There are no kill solutions for animals of all sizes, including moose. We would like the City of Ottawa to stop consulting with hunters and trappers, to stop killing wildlife, to work with the humane organizations Ottawa Carleton Wildlife Centre, Rideau Wildlife Centre, Bear With Us, Coyote Watch Canada, and National Wildlife Centre, and to create a No Kill Wildlife Coexistence Policy. The City of Niagara Falls, Ontario, bans all leg hold, snare, and lethal traps and has a proactive non lethal Coyote Inclusive Strategy. They have no issues with wildlife.
https://niagarafalls.ca/coyote/default.aspx
11,187
The Issue
https://engage.ottawa.ca/wildlife-strategy-review
https://www.wildlifeinfo.ca/uploads/6/5/8/0/65805765/ocwc_spring_2023.pdf
In January 2026, police came to Brantwood Park for a coyote who was injured. They were referred by 311 and told the caller they would shoot animals since they have no humane training.
“I saw them both (the injured one looked like its front paws may have been caught up in a string or wire) and called 311 as well and they referred me to non-emergency line with OPS who were there promptly. The city operator told me the wildlife services with the city are for small animals, an bigger ones the refer the caller to OPS. If the coyote (second one spotted across the river either its mate or mother) seen is aggressive they will “put them down” (shoot the coyote). The police don’t have access to tranquilizers or poles for capture. The officers also said if you see one to make a lot of noise and not turn your back, moving away from it.”
In June 2025, Police made a very ignorant choice to shoot this cub. Bears can survive broken legs, and there is an amazing bear rescue, Bear With Us Bear Sanctuary, that can provide help all across Ontario. No need to shoot a bear. Especially not an injured cub. The places the police contacted were municipal bylaw, the pro hunting Ministry of Natural Resources, and the Nature Conservancy of Canada, which is a land trust, not a wildlife rehabilitation centre. Not having an organization nearby does not justify shooting an animal. The bear was shot probably because they were blocking the highway and the police didn’t want to wait several more hours for a humane response. https://ottawa.citynews.ca/2025/06/10/young-bear-killed-after-hit-and-run-on-hwy-7/?fbclid=IwVERFWAMzEs1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHtXEhvtQFaEW0cYFldyuN3aLRTdUr_Yv3majgVbba87LeSe6jQetj9X_bfix_aem_-3_gYWwovWpKeNf_JWNiNQ
Contrast this with August 2025, where a bear was rescued and relocated in Kanata.
In 2023, a bear cub was shot 14 times by Ottawa Police simply because they were in a city. The bear was harming no one and was trying to run away from people. Also, Ottawa hires trappers to leg hold trap, strangle snare, and kill coyotes or has police shoot them, has police or conservation officers shoot large animals, and hires trappers to drown trap beavers. There are no kill solutions for animals of all sizes, including moose. We would like the City of Ottawa to stop consulting with hunters and trappers, to stop killing wildlife, to work with the humane organizations Ottawa Carleton Wildlife Centre, Rideau Wildlife Centre, Bear With Us, Coyote Watch Canada, and National Wildlife Centre, and to create a No Kill Wildlife Coexistence Policy. The City of Niagara Falls, Ontario, bans all leg hold, snare, and lethal traps and has a proactive non lethal Coyote Inclusive Strategy. They have no issues with wildlife.
https://niagarafalls.ca/coyote/default.aspx
11,187
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on July 31, 2023