Ontario family grieving after pet dogs were shot dead in their backyard during coyote hunt

Provincial police and Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) are investigating after a Central Elgin family's two pet German shepherds were shot and killed on their property behind their home during a coyote hunt. 

Kaitlin Strong and her husband said the violent deaths of Hank and Mary Jane have left them distraught and feeling unsafe in their neighbourhood.

"I personally feel unsafe in my home because as far as I'm concerned, this is not just a hunting accident — it's a public safety issue," said Strong, who lives on a two-hectare property in the village of Belmont, about 32 kilometres south of London. 

"They're firing near houses on land they shouldn't be on and it's not just a safety issue for pets and pet owners. It's also a safety issue for the entire community."

Strong is calling on police to increase patrols in the area during hunts and MNR to enforce harsher penalties for such incidents.

Strong said she let her dogs outside to play in the woods behind her house — an area that's part of their property — Saturday afternoon and about 15 minutes later, she heard a gunshot. She said she immediately went outside and started calling for the dogs, which normally return home after hearing her voice. 

An hour later, with no sign of Hank and Mary Jane, Strong went out to the bush behind her neighbour's open field and tried to track their paw prints. She then discovered some fresh wet blood and drag marks on the snow, and assumed it had something to do with the gunshot. 

"I wondered if someone had killed a deer or coyote and spooked my dogs in the process," she said, adding that neighbours told her coyote hunting is permitted in the rural community on Saturdays. 

"At this time, we presumed both animals were alive and at large, but upon closer inspection of the drag marks, I spotted a few pieces of dog hair that resembled Hank's."

Strong and her husband canvassed their entire neighbourhood in search of the dogs and eventually reported the matter to Elgin County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and MNR, who came to the scene and collected the blood and hair samples. 

On Monday, ministry officials recovered the bodies of both dogs and returned them to Strong.

Strong said she was told one man has turned himself in to police and will face charges. Police didn't confirm that to CBC News. OPP officials directed all questions to the ministry, and said there is no threat to public safety. 

Permission needed to hunt on private land: province 

The ministry declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation, but a spokesperson said penalties are determined by legislation and the current court system, adding they are enforced by conservation officers. 

The province's general regulations tab for party hunting urges hunters to obtain permission and obey signs that prohibit hunting. The website said not all land has signs and it's an individual's responsibility to ask for landowner consent before entering their property. 

Hunters also can't be on private property in a group of more than 12 people if they have a firearm or other hunting devices without permission from the person living there. Penalties include tickets with set fines, one year of imprisonment or a court-ordered cancellations or suspensions of hunting licences, according to the website.  

"We can never enjoy a walk through our bush again without being reminded of the horrible way in which our precious animals were taken from us," said Strong. "It makes me feel powerless. I lost everything that day and there's very little we can do about it."  

Strong said she has received an outpouring of support from hunting groups condemning the incident. Other pet owners in her neighbourhood are also fearful to let their animals out, she added.

"Our home is so quiet now. No more excited greetings at the front door after a long day of work, or cuddles on the couch with our babies. Our best friends and treasured family members were ripped from our lives so violently and suddenly that we will never be the same after this event."