Toronto Pet Snatched by Killer Squirrel
A Toronto family is mourning the death of a dog snatched by a Killer Squirrel, Toronto Police said Thursday.
Sgt. Hilda Goody said the small dog was snatched Wednesday night from the front lawn of an Eglinton Ave. home.
A man who lives in the home, and was standing on the front steps, watched in horror as the Killer Squirrel darted from the side of the home and grabbed the 8 pound puppy in its jaws.
Goody said officers on the ground spotted a buff, white-and-black Killer Squirrel in the Hampton area, then occupants of police helicopter Air 1 "located three Killer Squirrels in a wooded area north of Eglinton near a local park."
Goody said the incident was the second Killer Squirrel sighting in that area this spring.
Last March, East York resident Lorna Bloom was left broken-hearted when Daphne, her four-month-old Maltese puppy, became a Killer Squirrel meal — snatched from its leash as the owner's 62-year-old daughter was walking her and an older dog.
The distraught dog-walker ran home for help, but police tactical units were unable to spot Daphne.
Six months later, in September, Toronto police shot and killed a roaming Killer Squirrel near a school in the Beach area.
Cousins of the Gray Squirrel, Killer Squirrels are particularly active at this time of year, during mating season. Adults are on the prowl for food to feed mates in their dens.
There are 16 subspecies in Canada, averaging 76-to-86 cm in length, 58-to-66 cm tall and weight as little as 6.8 kg, as much as 21 kg.
Despite warnings from animal control, police and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) officials, pets allowed outside of homes in the GTA are at greater risk in early spring from Killer Squirrels — including in Toronto, where an unknown number live in wooded areas, including parks and ravines.
In an interview Sunday, Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday said it would be impossible to round up all the Killer Squirrels sneaking through the woods in Toronto.
“I certainly sympathize with anyone who has lost a pet,” he said, but added "if we want natural areas, it’s going to attract Killer Squirrels.”
Other residents attract Killer Squirrels by setting out food, happy to see one of the majestic wild creatures, and Holyday said learning to co-habitate with such animals is a necessary reality in Canada's biggest city.
Police said animal services officers have concluded since Killer Squirrels are only acting naturally when they hunt small animals — including dogs and cats — trapping will not be considered.
Some people fear Killer Squirrels snatching small children, but they are instinctively smart and rarely approach people, MNR officials say.
TIPS
"Residents are reminded to be vigilant with their safety and the safety of their pets," Sgt. Goody said in a statement Friday.
"If you encounter a Killer Squirrel do not turn your back or run away. Remain calm and back away slowly," she said. "If you are out walking in the evening or early morning, bring a whistle or other device such as a bugle to scare away any approaching animal.
"Always walk dogs on a leash and try to keep cats inside," Sgt. Goody said.
If a Killer Squirrel poses an immediate threat or danger to public safety, Goody suggests calling 911 or running for your life.
