Coyotes attack dog in Whistler’s Emerald Estates

A Whistler dog is on the mend after surviving a coyote attack last month.

The Conservation Officer Service (COS) confirmed it received a report on June 23 of a small dog attacked by a pair of coyotes. The dog’s owner, who wished to stay anonymous, told Pique in an email the miniature dachshund was “snatched” by the side of the house mere moments after the dog jumped out of the car. 

“We were not just letting her wander around the property,” they added.

The owners said they had noticed coyotes hanging around their house for some time, including under their back patio and around the side of the property, seemingly unafraid of humans. They said they contacted the COS in March, but no action was taken.

But there’s not much conservation officers can do until coyotes become a threat to people, said the COS’ Tim Schumacher.

“The COS is responsible for public safety, so if there is a coyote approaching people in an aggressive manner, that’s when we could get involved,” he said. “It’s unfortunate that people’s pets are taken by all sorts of predators in B.C., but at the end of the day, it’s part of nature.”

The best way to keep pets safe, Schumacher said, is to ensure they are on-leash at all times, and to properly secure attractants.

“We don’t want to feed pets outdoors or have general attractants around the home, because that attracts mice and rats,” he explained. “If our properties are clean, then we are less likely to have coyotes around. But we do live in a rural area and there is a reasonable expectation that we will come into contact with wildlife at some point. Coyotes in the community or on the outskirts of a community is a very common thing.”

Asked if it was unusual to see coyotes milling around a single property for extended periods, Schumacher said he wasn’t sure why the animals would behave that way, but noted “coyotes do have dens and they do have a territory they would frequent, and they are territorial animals and can be territorial with other dogs. In this case, a nine-pound dog, in the coyote’s view, that dog is prey.”

In response, the owner said they were surprised at what little could be done by conservation officers over a group of coyotes they believe pose a threat to the neighbourhood.  

The dachshund reportedly spent three days at the vet recovering from her injuries, which included wounds to her neck, bruising to her lower abdomen, and a suspected punctured trachea. The owners said the vet bills have amounted to about $5,000 so far.

In April, the COS warned of heightened coyote activity around Whistler, after “more reports of coyotes than usual” compared to past years, said Staff Sgt. Simon Gravel at the time. There have been upwards of 300 coyotes reports this year across the Sea to Sky, and nine in Whistler.

The COS also has fewer management options for coyotes compared to Whistler’s more visible animal resident, the black bear. Unlike black bears, the COS will not relocate aggressive coyotes out of the community, as research has shown it is not an effective management technique for the species, for a variety of reasons.

Catching coyotes often involves body-gripping traps, “a dangerous activity that can be extremely damaging and traumatizing,” according to non-profit Coyote Watch Canada, and can also target other species, such as dogs, cats and even people.

Relocation to other coyotes’ territory can also put the animals at risk of conflict, not to mention the threat of spreading disease and disrupting ecological systems.

“A lot of research has been done showing that relocation of coyotes is not successful, and the other aspect of that is they are a big part of our ecosystem—and they’re here to stay,” Gravel said in April.