Dog killed by deer in Kamloops part of increase in urban deer conflicts

A Kamloops resident lost her one-year-old puppy earlier this month when it was stomped to death in her yard by a mother dear trying to protect its fawns. Tania Hennigar is mourning the loss of the beloved little dog called Valentino and wrote to iNFOnews.ca the ordeal was “a punch to the heart.” On Sept. 3, the day after the tragic incident, Hennigar made a post to social media warning others to keep an eye on small dogs and children playing in their yards as fences don’t keep the deer out. “The summer is coming to an end, and deer rutting season is just getting started,” it read. “As beautiful as nature can be it can also be so cruel. Yesterday, we lost our beloved one year old puppy, who was trying to protect his yard, from a momma deer who was just trying to protect her fawns.” In the Okanagan, the problem of aggressive mother deer attacking people and dogs has been highly visible for years with numerous incidents occurring in the past year yet no one has come up with a plan to do something about it. On June 15, Penticton resident Jackie Hooper was attacked and injured by a mother deer https://infotel.ca/newsitem/penticton-woman-injured-protecting-dog-from-aggressive-mother-deer/it105280 while protecting her dog from it on a city street. Less than a week prior to that an aggressive mother deer attacked a woman https://infotel.ca/newsitem/woman-injured-dog-killed-by-aggressive-deer-in-west-kelowna/it105185 in West Kelowna and killed one of her dogs. On May 31, part of the Gellatly Nut Farm was closed off for several days following an aggressive encounter between a deer https://infotel.ca/newsitem/officials-close-portion-of-west-kelowna-nut-farm-due-to-aggressive-deer-with-fawns/it105018 and a patron. A dog was kicked to death by a deer in the park last year https://infotel.ca/newsitem/invasive-species-wreaking-havoc-and-death-in-west-kelowna-park/it101407 , amid numerous reports of aggressive deer. This past summer Penticton city councillor Amelia Boultbee told iNFOnews.ca https://infotel.ca/newsitem/penticton-councillor-putting-plan-together-to-address-aggressive-urban-deer-problem/it105565 she is looking into the problem after receiving multiple phone calls this year from residents reporting dangerous encounters with deer. “The issue is fraught with controversy because deer are cute little animals and no one wants to see people doing anything bad to them,” she said in a previous interview. “I promised when I was elected, I’d bring issues forward even if they aren’t popular.” WildSafeBC https://wildsafebc.com/ is an organization leading the province in preventing conflict with wildlife.  READ MORE: Dispute over Shuswap's Crazy Creek suspension bridge lands in court https://infotel.ca/newsitem/dispute-over-shuswaps-crazy-creek-suspension-bridge-lands-in-court/it106465 The organization doesn’t have a way to record or track wildlife reports and can't say whether the issue of deer conflicts is growing, however an emailed statement to iNFOnews.ca said deer conflict is one of the more common topics they talk about. “Although injuries inflicted upon humans are typically minor in severity, deer do have the ability to inflict serious harm,” it reads. “Pets, especially dogs, are at a higher risk of encountering a defensive deer too closely and being injured as a result. “Dogs that are off-leash and not under proper control are at risk the most.” READ MORE: Record breaking return of sockeye salmon to Okanagan spawning grounds https://infotel.ca/newsitem/record-breaking-return-of-sockeye-salmon-to-okanagan-spawning-grounds/it106472 Some of the preventative measures dog owners can take include always keeping pets on a leash and under control, staying a good distance away or taking a detour around deer, and carrying bear spray in areas where it is appropriate to do so for protection if a defensive attack is imminent. WildSafeBC continues to work on increasing awareness of the conflicts and promoting safe ways to respond. A social media group was formed this year https://www.facebook.com/groups/1134532537606123 to track encounters with dangerous deer in Penticton.  To contact a reporter for this story, email Shannon Ainslie mailto:sainslie@infonews.ca  or call 250-819-6089 or email the editor mailto:news@infonews.ca . You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom mailto:tips@infonews.ca  and be entered to win a monthly prize draw. We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here https://infotel.ca/newsletter .