Updated: Sun Feb. 22 2009 5:23:50 PM

ctvtoronto.ca

A six-year-old Chihuahua is the latest victim of a coyote that has been terrorizing pets in Toronto's Beaches neighbourhood.

Zoe was snatched from her backyard while her owner, Sean Maxwell, looked on in horror.

"They coyote jumped in and it was a flash of grey, a flash of brown," he said. "It jumped over the fence and ran on top of the dog."

The house, located on Neville Park Boulevard off of Queen Street East, backs onto a ravine where the coyote has been seen lurking several times.

Residents have been voicing their concerns for weeks as several cats have been reported missing.

One little boy told CTV Toronto he thought it was a dog at first.

His father said the wooded area is an ideal spot for a coyote.

"It was a big, very well-fed coyote prancing around back there. There are lots of woods and trees and stuff you can see how they can survive back here," said a neighbour.

Maxwell said he's worried about his other Chihuahua Pluto who was playing with Zoe when she was taken. He also worries for his small daughters even though coyotes don't normally attack humans.

He said until the coyote is caught, the backyard will be off-limits to his family.

"I just want him to move so that I don't have to live in fear," he said.