Investigation underway after two dogs kill deer in Lethbridge

Warning: Graphic photos

Lethbridge Animal Services is investigating after a resident said she saw two dogs attack and kill a deer in the city.

A regular Monday evening walk through the city’s west-side turned into a chaotic sequence of events for a Lethbridge family.

Steph Rickard and her family were walking through their neighborhood when she said two dogs, with no owners controlling them, bolted by her family as they hunted a deer.

“They were chasing the deer towards us and then they crossed over the street and then they ended up in the grass area in the green,” Rickard recalled. “They took down the deer and attacked the back end of it.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "They were chasing the deer towards us and then they crossed over the street and then they ended up in the grass area in the green," Rickard recalled. "They took down the deer and attacked the back end of it."

Rickard rushed to help the deer alongside another woman who was watching.

“We scared the dogs away so the deer had time to breathe and get up if it was going too,” Rickard said.

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She said the deer died shortly after the attack, which happened in the Coachwood and Ridgewood Park area. Dogs are supposed to be on leashes in both these parks.

What concerned Rickard was the lack of urgency the dog owners showed in retrieving their pets.

“They didn’t try to come fast and control their animals they just walked over,” Rickard said. “Then they brought the dogs to the deer after they had attacked the deer.”

Lethbridge Animal Services told Global News that it is investigating this incident and charges leading to fines could be levied.

The city’s dog control bylaw states that, “the owner of a dog shall not permit such dog to run at large”

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Another section reads, “the owner of a dog shall ensure that such dog shall not… bite, or chase other animals.”

Rickard said a yellow lab and husky killed the deer. She was frustrated by an incident that could have been prevented if the dogs were on a leash.

“It’s a neighbourhood and there’s a park right here,” Rickard said. “We had a three-year-old child with us. The situation could have got a lot more out of hand.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's a neighbourhood and there's a park right here," Rickard said. "We had a three-year-old child with us. The situation could have got a lot more out of hand."

The deceased deer was picked up by the city’s public operations department, Lethbridge Animal Services said.