Travis Olson’s rescued chihuahua Lulu was his closest companion for many years. 

But her life was cut short last weekend when a coyote snatched her and killed her in John Hendry Park, also known as Trout Lake Park, in East Vancouver.

Olson said he was walking Lulu in the southwest area of the park on Sunday evening, as he did every day, when a coyote darted out and grabbed her. 

“I heard a squeak and I looked over and a coyote had my dog in its jaws,” said Olson, adding that the coyote shook Lulu aggressively before taking off.

He said he chased the coyote into a bushed area until Lulu’s cries stopped and the blinking light on her harness disappeared. 

“I was in disbelief, I was in shock.”

He said although Lulu was not leashed at the time, she was only about two metres away from him. 

He said the attack happened near the park’s off-leash dog area, and he is hoping to spread the word to prevent other incidents from happening. 

“People are there at dusk and dawn with their dogs off-leash,” he said.

Karen Nixon with Halo’s Pet Rescue, a volunteer group dedicated to searching for missing pets, said her tracker dog found Lulu’s body intact near the east shore of Trout Lake the next day. 

She believes Lulu died immediately, likely due to neck injuries from being shaken. 

“They grab them very quickly and even if you can stop them from taking your pet away, a small dog is going to be critically injured or killed,” said Nixon.  

Nixon said she has noticed an increase in coyote attacks in the last few years.

“The scary part about this attack is she was literally a leash-length away from [the owner],” she said, noting that many pet owners keep their pets on leashes that can extend up to around four to six metres. 

Olson is calling on local authorities to do something about coyotes. 

He said there needs to be more signage in the park to raise awareness, and coyotes that have demonstrated aggressive behaviour should be culled. 

He called the attack “brazen,” noting that although it happened at dusk, there were still people nearby talking, laughing and playing music. 

“An aggressive animal does not deserve to continue to be aggressive and possibly create even worse situations in the future,” Olson said. 

The B.C. Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) said in a statement to CBC News that an officer is following up on the incident. It also said it is planning to put up signage at Trout Lake.

It said there have been several reports of coyotes acting aggressively toward pets, noting it is more common in spring and summer.

“The BCCOS sends its sympathies to the owner for the loss of their pet,” said the statement.

Olson said Lulu was about a year old and had been abandoned by her previous owners when he adopted her from the New Westminster Animal Shelter.

“I said to her, ‘I’m gonna keep you and I’m gonna keep you safe for the rest of your life,'” he said. 

He said he had Lulu, who weighed just over two kilograms, for over nine years. She was his designated emotional support dog and went everywhere with him.

“She meant a lot to me … it’s just really hard,” he said. 

Scare them 

Rose Wilkin of Stanley Park Ecology, a non-profit that focuses on education and conservation, said they have received five reports of coyotes attacking pets in Metro Vancouver in the last two months.

She said people can report coyote sightings and incidents through the organization’s website, which features a map that tracks reported sightings.

Wilkin said if coyotes become aggressive — running toward a human or pet or attempting to grab or bite someone — the best response is to scare them by making yourself look big and making as much noise as possible.

“Coyotes are naturally afraid of humans so usually it’s not difficult to scare them away,” she said. 

She said not to run away, as coyotes have chasing instincts, but rather slowly back away. She also recommended keeping pets on a short leash. 

Olson hopes that sharing his story will help people in the neighbourhood be more aware and keep their pets safe.

“I just hope that something good can come out of this,” he said.