A LaSalle woman is raising the alarm after a coyote attacked and killed her pet dog in her yard.
Lori Quaggiotto lives on Bouffard Road between Matchette Road and Malden Road and was outside with her three dogs on Tuesday when the coyote jumped her fence and grabbed Maggie Sue, a year-and-a-half-old Yorkie Poo.
"Maggie saw a bird, and she was just kind of chasing the bird, and then I turned and heard the two dogs from our neighbours start to get loud," she recalled. "Within 30 seconds, a coyote had jumped the fence and snatched Maggie and took her."
She said she had been concerned about coyotes in the area for some time and never let her dogs out supervised. She had even surveyed the yard beforehand, but it happened so fast she had little time to react.
While coyotes typically avoid humans in urban areas, especially during the day, they hunt at all hours of the day if they are feeding pups, and Quaggiotto said she believes there is a den of pups near her home.
A coyote. © Can Stock Photo / rodehi
She said the coyotes appear to be getting bolder too.
"There's been people that have contacted me that have said their dog had been attacked while on a leash while they were walking them," she explained. "There's been another person that told us the coyotes have been on her back porch."
Quaggiotto said she had first started calling town officials about it back in January. Since Tuesday's attack, she has been on the phone with her town councillor, LaSalle Police, Erie Wildlife Rescue, and has been trying to get through to the Ministry of Natural Resources. So far, officials have told her there might not be much that can be done.
When asked if she was afraid the coyotes might attack a small child, Quaggiotto responded, "I don't know -- but if we didn't say anything, we would feel guilty if something happened."
Meanwhile, Quaggiotto said the community has been very supportive after the loss of Maggie Sue, and she hopes to speak before LaSalle Town Council about it Tuesday night.