Coyote attack at dog park sparks concern, warning from pet owner

Alessio Donnini · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 30, 2025 3:25 PM EDT | Last Updated: June 30

A London man is informing others after his canine was attacked by a coyote wrong a metropolis canine park.

Luna, a four-year-old Scott American Bulldog, is recovering pursuing a sojourn to the vet, but different canine owners indispensable beryllium alert of what happened truthful they tin support their ain pets, said Luna's proprietor Keaton Uitterdyk 

"I don't privation dogs to get hurt, particularly astatine the canine park. They're going to be moving around. You don't ever person visibility of them. if it was a smaller dog, who knows what would person happened," Uitterdyk said.

Luna was peacefully grazing connected immoderate grass in the Stoney Creek Off-Leash Area connected Adelaide Street on the evening of June 26, erstwhile what initially looked similar different canine approached Luna from down and spot her hind leg. 

"I ran astatine the [coyote], screaming similar a madman, trying to scare it off, because I don't privation it to wounded my canine oregon my girlfriend's dog," Uitterdyk said.

After successfully scaring disconnected the coyote and bringing Luna to safety, Uitterdyk noticed a heavy puncture coiled from the coyote's teeth connected Luna's hind leg.

Following the attack, helium said, helium made a telephone to city hall's carnal power service. Officials would instrumentality enactment of the incident, Uitterdyk said, but much should beryllium done.  

"It would conscionable beryllium bully if they could possibly hunt the area, or instrumentality enactment to relocate [the coyotes] oregon something," Uitterdyk said, particularly fixed the coyote's proximity to the off-leash canine park.

The City of London says it's alert of the incidental and carnal power officers were astatine the parkland to analyse the perimeter for immoderate mode the coyote could've gotten done the fence.

All fencing was intact erstwhile they investigated, the city's manager of carnal welfare, Wade Jeffery, wrote in a statement.

"When incidents similar this occur, the metropolis consults with Coyote Watch Canada to measure the concern and supply guidance," Jeffery said.

According to Uitterdyk, the coyote could beryllium seen jumping implicit the obstruction to permission the canine parkland aft being frightened away. Later, the coyote was seen jumping implicit different obstruction to participate a abstracted country of the canine park, said Uitterdyk's mother Carissa Ferrie.

"The metropolis checking if the fences had openings is pointless. There is presently inactive nary coyote informing sign posted astatine the parkland gate, which I truly privation the metropolis would do," Ferrie said.

The archetypal daze of the incidental has subsided, and Uitterdyk and Ferrie are warning different favored owners to beryllium vigilant, truthful their dogs aren't besides attacked. 

It's a informing different favored owners look alert of. After Ferrie made a station successful a section societal media radical informing others and recounting the incident, dozens of radical shared their astonishment and concern, with immoderate sharing anecdotes astir encounters they had themselves.

Uitterdyk said it's improbable he'll beryllium returning to the canine parkland the onslaught happened successful immoderate clip soon.

"It's bully to beryllium capable to person immoderate state to beryllium capable to tally astir without having to interest astir [dogs] running onto the thoroughfare oregon going into backstage property. It's successful a contained space. It should beryllium a harmless situation for dogs."

Encounters with coyotes similar the 1 Luna had are rare, Jeffery said successful his statement. Roughly 2 to 3 reports of carnal interaction betwixt coyotes and dogs hap annually, and determination are betwixt 4 and 5 reports of assertive interactions that don't impact carnal contact.

The metropolis says it's important for residents to study "concerning wildlife behaviour".

To study coyote encounters, the City asks residents to contact Coyote Watch Canada astatine (905) 931-2610 and taxable sightings online at www.london.ca. For sick oregon injured wildlife, including coyotes, residents tin interaction London Animal Care Centre astatine (519) 685-1330.

Despite the interest helium feels surrounding the situation, ultimately, the astir important happening is that Luna is harmless and happy, Uitterdyk said.

"She doesn't truly similar the cone connected her neck. She keeps moving into things. It's beauteous funny, but she seems happy. She's good."