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
From AI running wild to collapsing ecosystems, government report outlines future disruptions
From artificial intelligence running wild to collapsing ecosystems, a new Canadian government report outlines 35 disruptions that could rattle the country in the near future.
B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton hospitalized after prison attack
British Columbia serial killer Robert Pickton was attacked and sustained life-threatening injuries in a Quebec prison Sunday in what officials described as a 'major assault.'
opinion Tom Mulcair: With Trudeau spiralling, Mark Carney waits in the wings
In his latest column for CTVNews.ca, former NDP leader Tom Mulcair argues that if there's an unofficial frontrunner in the eventual race to replace Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader, it has to be former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney.
Toronto Blue Jays fan struck by 110 m.p.h foul ball offered tickets, signed baseball by team
The Toronto Blue Jays have offered tickets and a signed baseball to a fan who says she was struck in the face by a 110 m.p.h (177 km/h) foul ball at Friday’s game.
Matthew Perry's death is being investigated over ketamine level found in actor's blood, reports say
An investigation has been opened into the death of Matthew Perry and how the “Friends” actor received the anesthetic ketamine, which was ruled a contributing factor in his death.
OPP continues to investigate boat collision north of Kingston, Ont. that left 3 people dead
Ontario Provincial Police continue to investigate a long weekend fatal boat collision on Bobs Lake, north of Kingston, Ont.
Police in Ontario say suspects charged in armed home invasion near Toronto part of 'larger criminal network'
Police in Ontario say a group of suspects charged in an armed home invasion north of Toronto last year were driving a vehicle stolen in a carjacking in Calgary just one month earlier.
Stolen septic truck swerves through traffic, spike belt needed to stop it: Manitoba RCMP
A 29-year-old woman has been charged after police say she stole a septic truck from a Manitoba community and drove erratically on the highway.
Orphan orca's extended family spotted off northeast side of Vancouver Island
Members of a killer whale pod related to an orphan orca calf that escaped a remote British Columbia tidal lagoon last month have been spotted off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island.