Oakville residents hold town hall meeting after 8-year-old attacked by coyote
Posted January 31, 2012 11:33 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Worried residents gathered together to voice their concerns in Oakville Tuesday night, nearly two weeks after an eight-year-old girl was bitten by a coyote.
“The crisis is about to come, because there are so many coyotes in this area, they’re going to be competing for whatever food there is. There’s been a child attacked already,” said resident Phillip Thatcher.
Two girls, both aged 8, were playing in a backyard on Canonridge Circle when a coyote jumped a four-feet high chain-link fence around 4 p.m. on Jan. 19.
Julie was bitten twice in the lower leg. She was treated at hospital for minor injuries and released. Shortly after, she began a series of rabies shots as a precaution.
A coyote was found and shot dead not long after.
But residents at Monday’s meeting said this wasn’t an isolated incident. Numerous people said they have spotted coyotes wandering the streets in broad daylight. Some even said their pets had been attacked.
Officials said they are working to fix the issue.
“Have your dogs on leash, supervise your animals when they are outside supervise your children…Yes we have a problem right now, but we need to correct that problem,” said Amanda Barrett, Oakville Humane Society.
With files from Erin Criger
