City of Toronto euthanizes two coyotes that killed pets in Liberty Village

After months of dangerous coyote encounters in Liberty Village and Fort York, the City of Toronto says it has euthanized two of the animals responsible for attacking and killing multiple pets.

The move comes after more than 100 attacks and the deaths of five dogs since November 2024, as documented by resident-led group Coyote Safety Coalition.

In a news release Tuesday, the City said it was a “difficult decision,” having long said culling the animals was not their preferred solution.

Over the past several months, the City hired an expert panel to consult on the issue and engaged Coyote Watch Canada and Critter Gitter – a hunter/trapper company licensed by the Province of Ontario — to conduct advanced aversion and hazing techniques. They also cracked down on off-leash dogs and increased community education and signage in an attempt to promote coexistence and come to a non-lethal solution.

In an update last month, the City said Toronto Animal Services had identified that one out of the four coyotes in the area was responsible for a majority of the reported violent incidents. The coyote in question appeared to have mange and was particularly aggressive. In Tuesday’s release, they added the animal’s mate was often present during encounters with people and dogs.

“This mated pair were humanely euthanized over the past few days following all provincial protocols and regulations,” said the release.

“While the City successfully supports wildlife in its natural habitat across Toronto, if animal behaviour changes in a way that jeopardizes public safety, then the City must take action to protect residents. This has been done as a last resort after all options were exhausted.”

The City added that of the remaining two coyotes, one seems to have left the area possibly due to ongoing aversion activities. Another has not been seen in the area recently and does not seem to be “habitualized to human interactions.”

CityNews reached out to the City regarding possible offspring of the mated pair. The City responded that the licensed trapper who conducted the euthanasia confirmed no pups were found in the area.

“As coyotes will always live in these neighbourhoods, and others across the city, bylaw officers and City animal experts will continue to monitor the area and educate residents to continue to use techniques to minimize the likelihood of future issues,” they added in the release.

The City reiterated that it will implement a downtown coyote action plan, put forward by Deputy Mayor and Spadina-Fort York coun. Ausma Malik, that was adopted last week which “involves a comprehensive, multi-part plan covering waste management, property maintenance, bylaw enforcement, site modifications, heightened public education.”

The plan will also inform broader updates to the City’s 2013 Coyote Response Strategy which is expected to be brought to the Economic and Community Development Committee and City Council for endorsement later this year.

“This step was not taken lightly but was a necessary step. It followed all escalation protocols, including aversion attempts to force the coyotes out of the community, balancing safety and humane considerations,” said Malik of the decision to euthanize the animals.

“I’d like to thank residents for their continued advocacy and City staff for their work. We’ll continue to work together to monitor and address this issue, for a safer community for all.”

Since last fall, residents in the area have been reporting increasingly alarming encounters with coyotes, saying they were not scared of humans and would not respond to traditional hazing methods. Daily posts on social media by residents reported attacks by coyotes at all times of day, primarily on leashed dogs, often described as “coming out of nowhere.”

Wildlife expert and Canada Research Chair in Integrative Wildlife Conservation at Trent University, Dr. Dennis Murray, suggested humane euthanasia as the only definitive solution back in February.

He said habituated coyotes cannot be redirected by hazing and a fear of humans cannot be re-instilled once lost.

“There’s plenty of research out there that shows that animals that have extreme boldness, that have become extremely habituated to humans, as seems to be the case in Liberty Village … those are irreversible behaviors,” he said at the time.

Murray is of the opinion that relocation, while seemingly humane, would have been the more cruel option. He says moving animals to a location they’re unfamiliar with or where they find themselves in conflict with other coyotes would most likely lead to their inevitable death.

In response to the euthanization of the mated coyote pair, Murray said it was the only appropriate choice.

“This is the right solution to a complex and politically sensitive problem, and I am glad that the authorities ultimately made the right decision … I wish that the City had been more responsive to its many citizens who voiced concern early on, had negative incidents, and lost pets,” he said.

In a review of the report produced by the city’s panel of experts hired to provide guidance and advice about the coyotes, Murray previously said the City’s reliance on advocacy groups rather than scientific expertise was troubling.

“I hope that the City has learned its lesson regarding the role of coyote advocacy groups and the lack of expertise that they bring to the table … the Expert Panel (including members of Coyote Watch Canada) failed to meet the task that it was assigned by the City, and it did not meet minimum scientific standards of objectivity and rigor,” he said Tuesday.

“The sooner that the City recognizes the very limited benefit of hazing, and the need for unbiased experts rather than coyote advocates to assist in such cases, the better off it will be. These are public safety issues, after all.”

After losing her own dog to sepsis following a “surprise attack” by two coyotes, Liberty Village resident Ruby Kooner founded the Coyote Safety Coalition, championing residents’ concerns and engaging with City agencies to take their reports seriously.

Kooner has long maintained she is not in favour of euthanizing the animals and had repeatedly suggested relocation, asking for the City to acquire an exemption to a provincial rule that prevents moving coyotes more than one kilometre.

She personally contacted a sanctuary in Texas that she said was willing to take the entire pack — a solution the City said was not viable during an Economic and Community Development committee meeting last week.

“I am deeply saddened to learn that the City of Toronto has culled two mated coyotes. This outcome reflects a failure in strategy, foresight, and collaboration — it did not have to happen. Despite months of reports, community warnings, and clear evidence, there has been a total breakdown in communication between the City, Animal Services, and community stakeholders,” said Kooner in response to the City’s decision.

She added that the “overnight destruction of Ontario Place” drove the coyotes into Liberty Village and displaced countless other animals.

“That abrupt and reckless loss of habitat destabilized the local ecosystem, directly contributing to the increased aggression and tragic consequences we are now witnessing,” she said.

“Toronto must do better. A city that claims to champion coexistence, sustainability, and world-class urban planning cannot continue to make reactionary, closed-door decisions in the face of ecological crises. This moment demands accountability, transparency, and a renewed commitment to change.”

Kooner also called out the Ministry of Natural Resources for what she felt was a lack of attention to and action on the matter.

“The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) has once again demonstrated that it is ineffective in fulfilling its core mandate — to protect natural resources and wildlife. Their refusal to allow a relocation policy exemption, while issuing exceptions to bypass environmental assessments [at Ontario Place], is not only hypocritical but deeply irresponsible. In the name of “progress,” we are upsetting ecological balance and dismantling ecosystems across Ontario, and the MNR continues to stand by, doing little to prevent it.”

Spadina-Fort York MPP Chris Glover also previously suggested relocation to a sanctuary as a possible solution, while citing the development at Ontario Place as the main cause for the sudden and unprecedented increase in coyote interactions downtown.

“This is an unfortunate but necessary decision that prioritizes community safety,” he said about the City’s decision to euthanize two of the animals.

“What is truly frightening is that the provincial government created this crisis by failing to conduct an environmental assessment before destroying Ontario Place. They are now moving to create special economic zones that override environmental laws and could cause similar problems across Ontario. Thank you to the community members who diligently tracked the incidents, raising awareness about the urgent need for action.”

Keith Patton, a volunteer with the Coyote Safety Coalition, has been keeping track of coyote encounters and collating the data over several months. He tells CityNews he supports the City’s decision, and while it brings some degree of closure, for many, it came far too late.

“The delayed response allowed preventable harm to continue, resulting in emotional trauma, the loss of cherished pets, and a significant public safety strain,” said.

“I recognize that coexistence with wildlife is a complex issue, but the prolonged path to resolution in this case reveals serious gaps in the current approach. Moving forward, it is critical that the City commits to a more responsive and decisive framework. When public safety is at stake, time matters—not just for the preservation of life, but also to minimize the emotional toll on residents and the financial burden placed on City resources.”

He added that he hopes this will be a learning experience for the City which will “drive the development of clearer escalation protocols, improved communication with the public, and a renewed focus on prevention.”