Calgary family ‘mortified’ after they say dog was killed by coyote
Posted May 19, 2025 10:44 am.
A family is feeling grief and sorrow after their Havanese dog, Chip, was mauled and killed by a coyote in Calgary’s southwest.
The family says it happened on May 13 in the backyard of their home in Aspen Woods, when they believe the coyote was able to jump the fence or even pushed its way through the fence opening into their backyard.
“Unfortunately, my wife found him deceased in the woods,” said Chip’s owner, Dr. Gerald Lazarenko.
“Just a loving, caring dog and we were just mortified that he was snatched away from us.”
Lazarenko says while the situation looked dire, he was hoping for the best up to the very end.
“Even though I knew he wasn’t going to do well, we did CPR all the way to the vet. We got him seen by the vet as soon as we could,” he said.
“They unfortunately agreed with my assessment that he had deceased at the scene.”
The family says they contacted 311, which has put up signs around the area warning people of coyotes.
According to the City of Calgary, coyotes are a valuable part of the ecosystem; however, if there’s a problem animal, the city practices what it calls “hazing” techniques that make coyotes associate humans with loud noises and other irritating experiences, with killing the animal as the absolute last resort.
The tragedy left the family devastated and serves as a harsh reminder to others about the impact coyotes can have.
“Please don’t do what we didn’t do, which is watch your dog in the yard 24/7. You can’t let them out alone,” Lazarenko said.
