KAMLOOPS, B.C. – Members of the Tk’emlups First Nation near Kamloops, B.C., are mourning the death of a 78-year-old woman who was attacked and killed by a dog.
Kathleen Green, an elder of the First Nation, was mauled to death at her home on the southern Interior reserve Saturday night by a dog that was tied up in the backyard.
“They are deeply saddened and shocked by the tragedy that took place,” said family spokeswoman Katy Gottfriedson.
“They ask that the community and other media respect their privacy at this time as they are mourning their mother, their grandmother, sister and aunt,” she said.
Emergency crews called to the scene had to shoot the dog because it continued being aggressive as they arrived.
The BC Corners Service said Green was attacked while she was feeding the mixed-breed dog, which was chained to a structure on her property.
She died at the scene.
Coroner Barb McLintock said fatal dog maulings are very rare and that this case has raised many questions.
“Sometimes it can just be almost, in a sense, bad luck as to what would make an attack fatal or not fatal, so we need to do a lot of work before we know what might have led this to actually become a fatality,” McLintock said.
The victim was a residential school survivor and lived with her grandson.
The dog weighed about 27 kilograms and belonged to a family member.