Residents blame coyotes for pets disappearing in Hunt Club neighbourhood
It’s a pet owner’s nightmare that Matthew Lisk never thought he and his family would have to deal with.
Peanut, the family’s eight-month-old Yorkie pup, has gone missing. Lisk and his fiancée believe she was snatched by a coyote. Neighbours in the area say sightings of coyotes have become common on Pinson Private, in the Hunt Club area. The family’s next-door neighbour even took a video of a coyote walking past her font door.
“It’s upsetting, it’s very upsetting; I have a small child and a fiancée and our house is very upset right now,” Lisk said. “There have been lots of people in this area who have lost pets. A fellow down the road lost his dog, an elderly couple nearby lost their cat the other day as well. It’s ongoing.”
One coyote has little fear of people and will walk right up to residents’ carports when they are outside. Lisk’s fiancée, Nathalie Lebrun, had to chase one off with a golf club last week.
“We are fearful someone else will get hurt, especially a small child,” Lebrun said. “We are hoping and praying no more animals get taken.”
The community has some small green spaces adjacent to the houses. Neighbours walking through the area have seen what appear to be entrances to coyote dens, which some have blocked with rocks in the hopes of discouraging the animals.
Lisk and his family hope the city will take action and humanely deal with the problem.
“We have a small park and a lot of children paly there,” Lisk said. “My concern is what’s going to happen if a child get bitten or worse.”
Coyote calls have been on the rise in Ottawa.
In 2021, the city of Ottawa received 476 calls related to coyote sightings and the city says there were more than 340 calls as of mid-September this year; however, multiple calls might be related to the same animal.
Ottawa Bylaw said last month it was in the process of hiring a wildlife specialist to keep track of coyotes’ movements in the city.
On Wednesday, city council voted to direct staff to report back to the the Community and Protective Services Committee in 2023 to recommend a coyote management strategy.
--With files from CTV News Ottawa's Dave Charbonneau.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Half of Canadians have negative opinion of latest Liberal budget: poll
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
Twins from Toronto were Canada's top two female finishers at this year's Boston Marathon
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
NASA hears from Voyager 1, the most distant spacecraft from Earth, after months of quiet
NASA has finally heard back from Voyager 1 again in a way that makes sense. The most distant spacecraft from Earth hadn't sent home any understandable data since last November.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
LGBTQ2S+ rallies to be held across Canada, billed as largest since marriage equality
Organizations across the country are gearing up for what they describe as the largest LGBTQ2S+ mobilization since the push for marriage equality.
Train derailed in Sarnia after colliding with a truck
Police are investigating after a transport truck collided with a train in Sarnia.