Guelph police are asking people to avoid giving their children old phones to play with after an unregistered phone called 911 nearly 130 times on Sunday.
Police say the same old phone called the emergency number at least 129 times between 4:40 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
They say dispatchers were able to hear a child during many of those calls, but were not able to get anyone’s attention.
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Police say officers tried to track down the phone based on location data and several addresses were checked but neither the phone nor an emergency were found.
They say any functioning mobile device can call 911, even if it is not connected to a service plan or has its SIM card removed.
To prevent accidental calls, police say people should consider removing the battery or allowing the phone to drain completely before it is given to a child.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 11, 2026.
