On the morning of June 7, Terri McKay was walking her dog along the Grey Canal trail below The Rise when they were attacked by a deer.
McKay said the attack was unprovoked and difficult to prevent because of the over five-feet of vegetation along the trail.
“We didn’t see the deer until she charged my 12-year-old dog Jack,” said McKay.
She then said Jack attempted at running away, but the deer wouldn’t let him and continued beating him with her hooves.
“Our only defense was screaming until she stopped,” said McKay.
Screaming at the deer made the attack on Jack stop, but her attention was then turned toward McKay as she charged her.
Luckily, the deer let McKay run away unscathed.
“We were lucky that we were not injured, and that Jack’s injuries are not serious.”
Jack needed staples and was monitored for internal injuries, sleeping most of the day away. McKay is thankful that her dog isn’t the type to fight as the deer may have been more violent if he was.
“There are a lot of dogs and kids who live adjacent to where Jack was attacked,” McKay warned.
McKay contacted Greater Vernon Parks and Recreation to let them know about the attack because she said there are at least two does with fawns in the area just above the Orchard Hill subdivision.
She said that Greater Vernon told her they would try to get up the trail to mow, and she hopes that it will help, but in the mean-time she plans on putting up posters as a warning to others.
“I don’t blame the deer as they are being squeezed out by the excessive development on that hillside. We need to give them more space,” McKay said.