Cape Breton man fights off coyotes to save his dogs

CTV Atlantic: Sydney man fights off coyotes A Sydney man says his daily dog-walk turned dangerous last week, after his dogs were attacked by coyotes on his property.

A Cape Breton man says his daily dog-walk turned dangerous last week, after his dogs were attacked by coyotes on his Gardiner Mines property.

Ken Waidson’s five-year-old Husky and one-year-old terrier are like part of his family. Their daily routine includes a walk in the neighbourhood, but last week, Waidson almost lost his dogs after they were approached by two coyotes, one of which attacked the Husky.

“I thought they were going to take him down, he’s five-years-old, he’s blind and he’s my best friend,” says Waidson. “I travel and he’s always with me in my truck, he’s got a lot of miles on him. I was very nervous for him and myself and the little dog. I figured the little dog would be gone because I couldn’t get away from this coyote to get at the other one.”

Waidson used a baseball bat to fight off the coyote, and luckily, the terrier was able to run off.

“I was very nervous to say the least. I held my cool through the whole thing, but after it was over I got a little bit of adrenaline running at that point,” says Waidson.

He says it’s not unusual to see coyotes in the area, but has noticed changes in how aggressive the wild animals are behaving.

Waidson says he has contacted the Department of Natural Resources, who are planning on setting traps in the area in hopes of catching the coyotes. In the meantime, DNR told him to keep outside lots on overnight, and make lots of noise before going into his yard.

Waidson says he’s also worried about children in the area, and his elderly neighbours, who recently lost their family pet.

“My neighbor off to my right here, they lost their cat about three to four weeks ago. My little dog found the bones of the cat down in my backfield,” says Waidson.

Waidson says he will keep a baseball bat with him while walking his dogs, and hopes that DNR will be able to trap the coyotes and make his neighborhood safe again.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kyle Moore.