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Let‘s learn to live together © Don‘t feed the animals. It might seem cliché but it‘s 8 the best advice the Oakville and Milton Humane Sociâ€" @ ety and Toronto Wildlife Centre can offer in an attempt to minimize conflicts with coyotes. Coyotes are frequent visitors to Halton‘s communiâ€" ties, including Milton. They‘ve been calling this town home for years. And, let‘s face it, they aren‘t going anywhere anytime soon. So what are Halton residents to do? Learn to live with them. Residents and coyotes can coâ€"exist. We just have to make sure we are all adhering to a few basic rules to ensure everyone‘s safety. These include not feeding the animals, not interacting with them and not enticâ€" ing them. By doing otherwise, we‘re encouraging the coyotes to come closer, which will bring them into conflict with us and our beloved pets. This can be fatal â€" for the coyote and Fido. Helpful reminder While there are no known reports of local dogs or cats being lost to coyotes so far this year, it‘s important to remember that mating season for the wild animals is near. Their food supply is not as plentiful and coyotes are left with little choice than to adapt if they want to survive. And whether we want to admit it, we are helping to shape this behaviour modification. Feeding coyotes, intentionally or otherwise, entices the animals. Once fed, coyotes will return looking to fill their bellies. If no food is available, they may get pushy as a reminder to us humans that they are anxâ€" iously awaiting their next meal. Their assertiveness, under some circumstances, could be interpreted as aggression, which could lead to law enforcement ofâ€" ficers taking matters into their own hands in an atâ€" tempt to protect the public and ensure our safety. That‘s why experts say it‘s so important to let coyotes be, reducing the potential for conflict and danger. Residents who spot a coyote are encouraged to use common sense and watch over children. They are also urged not to leave small pets unattended. To prevent unwanted encounters with coyotes, resiâ€" dents should consider securing their garbage cans, stop dumping trash in parks and refrain from discardâ€" ing food outside. ton.com | MILTON CANADIAN CHAMPION | Thursday, January 28, 2016 | 6 COYOTE UGLY: Champion reader Jajin McLay captured this coyote making its Lo way across a field at Derry Road and Fourth Line. Do you have an interesting, fun or cute photo taken in Milton that you would like to submit to be considered for Snapshot? Send submissions (minimum 600 KB resolution) to editor@miltoncanadianchampion. com. Please include the name of the photographer, a description of the photo, including where it was taken. Dog days of winter Old Man Winter is wreaking havâ€" oc on my routine. Daily â€" twice on weekdays _ and more often on weekends â€" | take my furry fourâ€"legged pal Gordo for a walk. It‘s an activity we both enjoy. While Gordo Catherine O‘Hara burns off steam, Acting Editor 1 get a healthy dose of vitamin D and exâ€" ercise. However, with the mercury dipping beâ€" low zero degrees Celsius, we‘ve been cutâ€" ting our outdoor adventures short for a number of reasons. Firstly, the cold can make spending long periods of time outside unbearable, deâ€" spite being bundled up from head to toe. Getting ready to head out the door also cuts into our jaunts. Not only must I lace up my boots, zip up my winter coat, wrap a scarf around my neck and pop a toque on my head, I‘ve got to dress Gordo, who has made it very clear that he is not a fan of winter. Without his coat and boots, this dog reâ€" fuses to venture beyond the property line. Gordo quivers like a leaf the moment his snout is exposed to cool air. He holds up his paws the moment his pads come into contact with snow. These antics leave me with no other option than to dress my dog as a parent would a child. But this takes a considerable amount of time and effort. Is it spring yet? Catherine O‘Hara can be reached at editor@ miltoncanadianchampion.com or on Twitâ€" ter @Milton_Champion insidehaliton.com 555 Industrial Drive, Milton, Ont. L9T 5E 1 905â€"878â€"2341 Advertising Fax: 905â€"876â€"2364 Classified: 905â€"875â€"3300 Circulation: 905â€"878â€"5947 www.miltoncanadianchampion.com V.P â€" Group Publisher Nelil Oliver Regional General Manager Kelly Montague Director of Advertising Sharlene Thompson Acting Managing Editor Catherine O‘Hara Production Manager Manuel Garcia Circulation Director Charlene Hall Office Manager Lori Ann Gvozdanovic The Canadian Champion, published every Thursday, is a division of Metroland Media Group Ltd. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline D Halton H We AGON UNITED WAY OF MILTON AY @CCAB ccaB Audited OPC | Oatario Press Council Recognized for excellence by Mocna Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community #CNA Newspapers Association Suburban Newspapers :____ of America The Canadian Champion is a proud media sponsor for: ind t Jingle Bell Fund MILTON OME “ SANTA CLAUS PARADE hw .. sn E Wncs The Oakville. Milton Gala Awards