TORONTO – Councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker wants city staff and Torontonians to stop poisoning, tranquilizing and killing coyotes saying they are “absolutely not” dangerous.
In a letter to the city’s Licensing and Standards Committee, De Baeremaker calls for a staff report that will create a “formal ‘no kill’ protocol,” a protocol for emergency responders and a ban on feeding coyotes within city limits.
Last month, police shot a coyote near Sackville Street and Carlton Street in Cabbagetown that was said to be acting aggressively in search of food.
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Now De Baeremaeker wants the public to know that poisoning, tranquilizing or shooting coyotes can be more dangerous to the public than to the coyote population.
“People putting out poisons is very dangerous to the public. It’s more dangerous to your neighbour’s dog or cat than to a coyote,” De Baeremaeker said noting that many of the options are “in fact ill-advised and dangerous for the public.”
While the councillor says incidents of coyotes attacking pets or people, he noted they do in fact happen and are “a tragic loss.”
The coyote killed by a police officer in February allegedly attacked a small Maltese dog named Cujo that later had to be put down by its owners.
“But to respond to that loss by being angry and vengeful and hateful and say ‘kill the coyote, get rid of the coyote’ that’s the wrong thing to do and it simply won’t work,” De Baermaeker said.
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