Vaughan’s coyote crisis is escalating, with residents in Thornhill saying they are too afraid to let children play outside or walk their pets. Alarming home surveillance footage shows packs of coyotes roaming driveways, fighting over prey, and even squeezing through fence gaps to try to snatch small dogs.
“It’s out of control,” said local resident Lee-att Shemesh, who now walks her dog armed with pepper spray, a baseball bat, and a bear horn. She described a terrifying moment when a coyote lurked in her yard while her 10-year-old daughter was outside, forcing her to rush both child and pet to safety.
City data shows Ward 5 has become the epicentre of the problem — with 240 of Vaughan’s 386 sightings this year, up from just 77 in 2023. Concerned for public safety, Ward 5 Coun. Gila Martow pushed through a motion this week to explore hiring licensed trappers, following Toronto’s example in Liberty Village. City staff will report back on the plan next week.
Mayor Steven Del Duca said he’s never seen so many reports of pets injured or killed and pledged that council is treating the issue as a priority. Wildlife experts, however, cautioned that trapping and relocating coyotes may only offer temporary relief, as new animals are likely to move in. They urged the city to double down on public education and eliminate food sources that might be attracting coyotes.
But frustrated residents say patience is running thin. “People don’t sit in their backyards anymore,” said longtime neighbour Revi Laufer. “Pets have been killed, kids have been chased — it’s gotten completely out of hand.”