Mississauga man attacked by coyote while walking his dog
A Mississauga man is warning people about coyotes following an attack while he was out walking his dog.
“[The coyote] was actually trying to go after her, which was a little disturbing,” Alvaro Furtado told CTV News Wednesday, recalling the scary incident.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Furtado said he was out with his five-year-old Jindo named Vixan in the area of Queensway East and Cliff Road around 6:45 p.m. Tuesday when the coyote slammed into his leg.
“I looked down and there was this grey, brown mass. It wasn’t snarling. It wasn’t making a sound, but it was trying to get to her, and then she kept pulling really hard, and she got free.”
In the chaos of the moment, Furtado lost hold of Vixan’s leash and said the coyote was trying to get in between his legs.
“I was wearing hiking boots at the time, and I ended up kicking it and punching it at the same time and then looked over cause there was a car, and then it was gone.”
Alvaro Furtado and his dog Vixan pose for a photo in Mississauga on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024. (CTV News/Beth Macdonell)
The fear of coyotes is very real in this pocket of Mississauga.
“It is scary, very scary when you see them because they are very large,” said one woman.
“I think the city should relocate them from the residential area,” said another man.
Parathan Mohanarajan is an animal services public education officer with City of Mississauga. He said the best way to deal with a coyote is to make your body big and make lots of noise.
“Stop, focus on the coyote, and you’re going to get loud,” he said.
Mohanarajan said the number of attacks isn’t up, but the number of people feeding wild animals is, and people should stop.
“If someone is feeding them, they may act aggressively, and that’s when the negative issues can occur, unfortunately.”
Other safety tips include keeping dogs on their leashes and avoiding walks at dusk and dark.
Furtado is thankful he and Vixan are okay and wants to warn others to watch out.
“She’s like a child almost. We’ve had her for five years, and we’ve become quite fond of her,” he said. “
It would be absolutely horrific if something happened to her.”
Furtado doesn’t plan to walk Vixan when it’s dark anymore and said the family will take her to the vet to ensure she doesn’t need a rabies shot.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Shooting outside of Drake's Bridle Path mansion, 1 person seriously injured: source
Toronto police are investigating a shooting that took place outside of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion early Tuesday morning, a source tells CP24.
King Charles too busy to see son Prince Harry during U.K. trip
Prince Harry will not be seeing his father King Charles during his current visit to Britain as the monarch will be too busy, Harry's spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Your body needs these three forms of movement every week
Movement is movement, right? Not exactly. Here’s what your body is looking for in addition to your morning walk or yoga session, according to experts.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Quebec to limit sperm donations per donor after 3 men from same family father hundreds of children
Quebec is looking at tightening the regulations around sperm donation in the province following the release of a documentary that revealed three men from the same family fathered hundreds of children.
How to overcome 'savings guilt' when you're living paycheque to paycheque
As the higher cost of living continues to squeeze household budgets, many Canadians find they have even less left over at the end of every month to squirrel away for the future.
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.