'So sad': Cancer patient's dog mauled in 2nd Markham coyote attack

Family of Maria Ferrante, who lost dog to predator, wants more information from Markham

Yorkregion.com
Sept. 13, 2021
Jeremy Grimaldi

Maria Ferrante was having a tough enough go as it was.

She was suffering through chemo treatment at Newmarket’s Southlake Regional Health Centre before she lost her best friend and companion to a gruesome mauling on the way home.

Cici, her small, 13-year-old, mix-breed dog, was attacked and lost her life after being mauled to death by a coyote at the end of August.

“She lives alone, she’s divorced; the dog was her companion. You can tell she’s just so sad. It’s not the same ... there’s a huge void without the dog,” said her daughter-in-law Sasha Lazarou, a Markham mom-of-four.

This was the second dog to suffer the same fate in the past few weeks.

In mid-August, an eight-pound Yorkie named Dian Dian, who was being walked on leash, was taken from its family in Mintleaf Park by a coyote.

Residents, who would later discover the dog’s body discarded nearby, told Yorkregion.com they’ve been seeing coyotes in the area for some time.

Ferrante’s experience with local coyotes was also traumatic.

It was Aug. 26 that Ferrante and her son were driving to her home in Ajax from Newmarket, when they decided to take a bathroom break for Cici at his Markham home.

Once they arrived, the Maltese, miniature poodle and bichon frise mix walked out onto the family’s front yard, located near Parkway Avenue and Sir Bedevere Place, fewer than two kilometres away from Mintleaf Park.

Lazarou said the dog had been gone less than a minute, and had just finished her business, when a neighbour yelled to watch out, as there was a coyote nearby.

”(My husband) said it almost didn’t seem to feel like real life. ‘I didn’t realize it was going after the dog, I thought it was a bunny’,” Lazarou said, recounting her husband's experience.

While Lazarou did manage to scare off the coyote, it was too late for poor Cici who succumb to the bites.

“It’s just so sad and terrible,” she said. “(Cici) had the sweetest personality; she was so loved by so many. We have been so devastated.”

Lazarou said while she understand residents must live among nature, she also feels more needs to be done to protect residents and their pets.

“I don’t want to displace animals, but when they come this close, they’re like wolves,” she added. “There needs to be more awareness and signage.”

She added that at the Markham Museum there is a well-known pack of coyotes, yet she was unable to see any signage warning visitors.

“People need to know how deadly they can be,” she said.

City of Markham spokesperson Jennifer Yap said the city believes the number of coyotes is consistent, but added there has been an increase in the number of calls about sightings, perhaps due to residents spending more time at home during COVID-19.

She refused to disclose how many calls the city is receiving or how large the increase has been in 2021.

“The City of Markham is taking action,” Yap said in a statement to Yorkregion.com, “to educate the public through outreach, communications and enforcement. Animal Services patrols in affected areas have been increased as well as public education. Signs have also been put up in locations where coyotes are known to frequent.”

She insisted messaging about coyotes runs all year long and is increased during mating and denning seasons

Yap also noted that while there have not been any mailouts in the Lazarou's neighbourhood yet, there were in other areas as early as June.

“In this instance, Animal Services officers have increased outdoor patrols in the area to advise and educate residents,” she added.

Lesley Sampson, executive director at Coyote Watch Canada, said the issue often lies with residents feeding coyotes.

“There’s a need for increased education in those areas,” she said. “Depending on the situation, usually these encounters are related to feeding of wildlife.”