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
Trudeau acknowledges charges in Nijjar killing, calls for commitment to democracy
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has acknowledged the charges laid Friday in relation to the murder of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Princess Anne lays wreath at B.C. veteran's cemetery; receives 21-gun salute
Princess Anne paid tribute to veterans buried at a cemetery in British Columbia today, laying a wreath to honour the more than 2,500 military personnel and family members buried there.
Mystik Dan wins the 150th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in a three-horse photo finish
Mystik Dan won the 150th Kentucky Derby in a photo finish, edging out Forever Young and Sierra Leone for the upset victory.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.