City officials are mulling over whether to take action on a wild coyote that has been lurking in Toronto's Beaches neighbourhood.
The coyote is responsible for at least one vicious attack on a small dog. Zoe, a six-year-old pet chihuaha, was playing in the backyard with the family's other pet chihuaha Pluto when she was snatched by the coyote in broad daylight.
Zoe's owner, Sean Maxwell, witnessed the entire episode.
"The coyote jumped in and it was a flash of grey, a flash of brown," he told CTV Toronto on Sunday. "It jumped over the fence and ran on top of the dog."
Over the past few weeks, several cats have gone missing from the area. They started disappearing around the same time local residents began spotting the coyote.
Now, residents are taking extra care with their pets, some even carrying their small animals around the neighbourhood rather then letting them walk on their own.
"This dog-like creature just whizzed right by my dog and I couldn't believe it at first," one local resident told CTV Toronto Tuesday morning.
Amanda Taylor, another local, said she has been taking extra steps to ensure her pet dog is safe.
"I don't leave them alone for extended periods of time that's for sure, especially in the evenings when the coyotes are out hunting," she said.
City officials say they worry about the coyote's brazen actions and are concerned because the neighbourhood is a busy residential community.
The city has several options in dealing with the wild animal. Officials can lure the coyote into a human trap and move him to another location or they can decide euthanize the animal.
It has already warned the public to keep a close eye over their pets and to store garbage outside of the animal's view.
Maxwell said he doesn't want the coyote in his community and that the city should take appropriate action to keep residents and their pets safe.
"I just want him to move so that I don't have to live in fear," he said.
With a report from CTV Toronto's Andria Case
