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8 bd 3 3 & so S 2 = 3 § DAVID LEA dlea@metroland.com H Oakville woman says she a wants the town to take action af- ES 2 ter her dog was killed by a coyote Fy in her backyard on Monday, ° March 27. Julie Benneyworth says it was shortly before 6 a.m., and her husband had let their Chihua- hua, Ollie, out into the backyard of their Seabrook Drive residence as part of their morning routine. Moments later he glanced out- side only to see Ollie on the ground at the back of the yard, not movin “There was no barking, nocry- . Nothing," said Benneyworth. “My husband went outside, and it was clear Ollie was dead. I think it happened really quickly." No one saw a coyote, however, Benneyworth said when she took Ollie's body to a veterinarian for cremation, the little dog was ex- amined. "They said the marks on his body were definitely from a coyote," one Benneyworth. akville woman says Ol- les oot has hit her family hard. She said her family rescued the Chihuahua from a shelter and he brought much joy to their lives during the three years he have two children, and they are just devastated," said Benneyworth. "Everyone is crushed. We've lost a family member." worth says she report- ed fe attack to both the Town of Oakville and the Oakville & Mil- ton Humane Society. (@} OAKVILLE insidehalton.com She has also taken to social media and even approaches d peo- ple walking their dogs in her neighbourhood to raise aware- ness about what happened. "I knot w there i is nothing any- I just don't want to hear happening again or a child being hurt," said Benneyworth. She said she is aware of a town sign in her neighbourhood warn- ing of the presence of coyotes, however, she said she believed dog was ate inside their fenced backyal Mole 's death, the ve- terivatinn told her a coyote can easily jump over a five-foot-tall fence. Benneyworth is calling on the town to d re to make resi- dents aware of the danger coyotes can pose to pets. She argued the town needs to take some kind of action to re- duce the number of coyotes living in Oakville neighbourhoods, but emphasized she is not calling for a cull stating that would be a se- ve mn. “Residents in Oakville shouldn't be afraid of having their pet go to the bathroom in their own fenced backyard,” said Benneyworth. "It's one thing if had my dog off leash in a Lan and my dog took off running and i animal, but this ani- mal came onto my property." Both the town and the humane society said they have been made of this incident. Humane society Spokesperson Roxanne Torbiak sai e hu- mane society will be ene patrols in that area to educate the and Ollie. Audrey’: Benneyworth family photo their Chihuahua Julie, Audr was Killed by a coyote on March 27. public about coyotes and "safe pet guardianship." Jim Barry, the director of Mu- nicipal Enforcement Services with the Town of Oakville said the town is actively investigating the incident and sending out staff to check the area for coyotes and/ or coyote dens hot food sources that may attract co: "Staff are ot eee that aj propriate signage is available at Seabrook Park, and plan on dis- tributing our spring flyer to the neighbourhood to share informa- tion about coyote pupping season and tips on what residents can do if they encounter a coyote," said Barry. He said coyotes are more vis- ible during spring and early sum- mer because this is the time of year when they are having pups. As such, he said, they will be WOMAN SPEAKS OUT AFTER DOG KILLED BY COYOTE more active around and protec- tive of their den sites. To keep pets safe Barry said residents should: + avoid feeding pets outdoors as the smell of food may attract coyotes and other animals they eat. + always keep pets on a leash when out for a walk unless in a leash-free park. always monitor your pets when outdoors. Particularly if you live near green spaces, ra- vines and other areas where coy- otes init known to frequent. cats indoors. Options are limited when it comes to reducing local coyote populatio’ The ‘town has previously stat- ed that coyotes are territorial. is means if one coyote | is de- It is also against provincial law to transport a wild animal more than one kilometre from where it was captured due to con- cerns around ane rend of dis: and m« roblem mal into someone velse's jurisdic. tion. arry is encouraging resi- dents to tune into the town's coy- ote information night, which is being offered online this evening (Wednesday, March 29) at 6 p.m., to learn more about the town's coyote management program, better understand coyotes, learn how to respond to coyote sight- ings, and how to coexist and re- duce coyote conflict. Residents can preregister at oakville.ca/home-environment/ pets-wildlife/coyotes/ serve on the following committee for the 2022-2026 term of Council: oakvi Make a Difference! Accessibility Advisory Committ , = Pere . ¢ Accessibility Advisory Committee — up to six 2 Join the Accessibility Advisory positions available Committee Further d id appl forms are The Town of Oakville relies on its residents, of all available on hall/may il abilities, to give of their time, expertise and experience inistrati boards/ by serving on various boards and committees. These boards and i: ive it an i ppl will be accepted until 4:30 p.m. on April on matters that impact the community. 14, 2023. The Town of Oakville is currently seeking volunteers to For more information about the appointment procedure, please contact the Clerk's department at 905-815-6015, or email townclerk@oakville.ca.