THUNDER BAY – A woman says wolves attacked and killed one of her dogs in her own front yard.
Patti Wilson, who lives on Kivikoski Road near the boundary line of Thunder Bay city limits and Gorham Township, let her two Australian shepherds outside around midnight Thursday night. That’s the last time she saw one of their family pets.
“It’s been very overwhelming for my family, especially my daughters. They’re a family member. They’re a part of you and important to you,” Wilson said.
Everything seemed normal that night until she tried to call them in and only one, her eight-year-old male Jazz, came into the house. The other dog, Blue, never came back.
Usually the two dogs stick fairly close to one another so it was unusual that only one came inside. Wilson went outside to look for Blue.
“I grabbed the flashlight by the door and went outside with Jazz and we started walking around the yard. I was calling for her and she didn’t come,” Wilson said.
“I went to go down the driveway and I was calling for (Blue). I as I went down I didn’t hear any noises. I went back up to the house and my daughter informed me (Jazz) was injured.”
Jazz had a torn ear, puncture marks on both his neck and inner thigh and was bleeding. He survived but Wilson said the dog is now extremely frightful of going outside.
After seeing the injuries Wilson knew some sort of predator, likely wolves, were involved. She called family members, who immediately rushed over, to help.
They found drag marks on the driveway and followed them a short distance into the bush, where Blue’s body was found.
“We’ve never had an issue with wolves. The city limit is right across the road,” Wilson said.
“Where my dog was dragged was where the bus turns around and picks up school kids. About 100 to 200 yards up is where my neighbours’ daughter gets picked up by the bus.”
The OPP responded that night and posted an advisory on Twitter, warning residents about possible wolves in the area.
In the past few days, as word of the attack has spread, Wilson has heard stories from other nearby residents, including a recent sighting of a pack of seven wolves in a nearby pasture.
She wishes she knew that before letting the dogs out that night.
“The next morning after my dog the wolves were howling at the bottom of my driveway and they’ve been back since. I think it’s important,
maybe I would have done something different that day, if I had been aware of all the incidents that happened around. It might have made a difference,” she said.
Wilson acknowledged that dealing with wild animals comes with the territory where she lives but never expected anything like this.
“I know we live in the country and I know with wildlife that’s how it is. It’s an act of nature,” Wilson said.
“But it’s scary. You hear about it but it’s never been on my doorstep until now…I’m afraid for kids, I’m afraid for a lot of the public…My daughter looks outside and goes, “Mom, I don’t want to walk out.’”
