A Guelph woman is warning people that use a popular south end trail about an aggressive and brazen coyote attack she and her dog experienced Thursday morning.
Joan (who would rather her last name not be used) was walking her full-sized dog on the trail that connects to Preservation Park just south of Terraview Drive in the city's south end when she noticed they were being "stalked" by a large, healthy coyote just 10 minutes away from where she had parked her car.
"It was stalking, slinking along about five or six feet away from us, then it attacked," said Joan.
Her dog fought back and the coyote ran off, only to return later and follow them again, at which point she picked up a stick. The coyote stayed at a greater distance the second time.
"This is a very, very popular trail and that's where my concern comes from. This was very, very aggressive behaviour," said Joan, whose dog is a 65-pound German shephard/border collie cross.
Joan said there are situations yearly where small dogs disappear in the woods. What worries her is how aggressive this coyote was and that it attacked something its own size.
"Generally, larger dogs and humans don't have encounters with them," she said.
"But this coyote stalked us for a period of time and then attacked a dog that was easily its match."
Lisa Veit, associate director of the Guelph Humane Society, said it certainly is unusual behaviour for a coyote, but there could be extenuating circumstances, such as a den or young nearby, which would be common this time of year.
"That's the most likely scenario," Veit said.
"Coyotes are urban wildlife. It's not unusual to see them in the City of Guelph," Veit said. "But it's certainly not what we normally see."
Veit said if this situation occurs it's best to pick up a small dog, make lots of noise and try and make yourself look big.
She also urged people to use the city's coyote reporting portal on their website.
Joan said the coyote was very beautiful, big and healthy and showed no signs of sickness or starving for food.
Joan said the trail is used by many dog walkers and running groups.
She said dog walkers who frequent the trail know coyotes are around and take precautions: keeping small dogs on leashes, not going out at night or before dawn.
