Coyote attacks. We’ve all heard about them, but we always think; that’s something that happens to another dog, not mine. This is what the Mol family thought until an event that changed their perspectives and certain aspects of their lives.
Having lived in a more rural area of Brampton on Winston Churchill the Mol family is not ignorant to coyotes. Coyotes have been a part of the outside of town lifestyle for years & years, however it is more recently the coyote population in our area has seemed to become bigger and braver. The theory is that with all the new development, coyotes are slowly losing out on land that they previously used to roam, live and most importantly: hunt. Pushing coyotes’ territories closer to ours has left these wild dogs with the option of getting used to human presence- even studying our routines or worse, the routines of our domestic animals. Although there still seems to be a certain level of apprehension in regards to how close they are willing to get to humans it appears as though the natural instincts of a canine has started giving them a no-fear attitude when it comes to our pets. This is something that the Mol family had to traumatically learn first hand:
It was a regular morning for Mike Mol and his family dogs; Toby & Paige.
Getting up around 5:30am to begin his workday as a city bus driver, he lets his dogs out in the dark. Paige is a large bred Lab-Shepherd Mix with an interest in adventure so she is kept on-leash, Toby; a fluffy Maltese who knows his boundaries remains free yet close to Paige during their time outside. Going about his routine, Mike notices barking coming from his yard and soon realizes there is only the voice of Paige. Not yet sure what to make of it Mike heads into the yard to find Paige on her own… there is no Toby. Looking around, Mike fears the worst. He goes inside to tell his wife, “I think the coyotes got Toby!”
With that Marja & Mike quickly get on their snow gear and head into the fields behind their home with flashlights. Hopeful that Paige may be able to pick up a scent they allowed her out of the yard. The couple searched frantically for the little man who was originally a gift to their daughter list years prior.
As the time was approaching 6am, the Mol family knew that daylight was still quite a ways away. Paige did not seem to be leading them in any particular direction and the feeling of being at a loss was beginning to sink in. The Mol family retreated to the house unsure of how they would explain to their daughter [who is away at school] that her dear Toby is gone. Mike vowed that later that day he could head out to search for what he might be able to find of Toby. In disbelief that a coyote snatching actually happened to them, he retreated to his routine and headed into work.
About 10 minutes after arriving, Mike Mol receives a call from Marja: “Toby’s here! Toby made it back! He is here!” In a serious miracle Toby had managed to get himself back to his homestead! As great as this was, Toby was in bad shape. Mike rushed home so that he and Marja could get Toby to the hospital right away. The Mol family arrived at North Town Veterinary Hospital still unsure of Toby’s fate and upon examination by our doctors it was clear that the extent of Toby’s injuries were very intense. Toby’s chest wall appeared to be abnormal as did his breathing and there was the suspicion that Toby may have suffered damage to his lungs, abdomen or ribcage. NTVH’s Dr. Forbes was able to stabilize the brave little guy but decided this was a serious case and that the Mol family needed to get Toby to the Ontario Veterinary College hospital in Guelph for further treatment. There is always a risk when moving a patient in serious condition, but Dr. Forbes explained to the Mol’s that this is a risk they need to take in order to adequately treat his condition.
