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Deer dies after being chased by dog

Conservation officers asking for help

Conservation officers are looking for help in trying to find the owner of a dog that chased a doe deer to death on Green Lake recently.

The incident was witnessed by a resident who called in a complaint to the conservation officer service in Squamish the following day.

"At this point we have taken a statement from the witness and have made some inquiries in the neighbourhood to try and locate the dog and we hope that somebody may know whose dog it is," said B.C. conservation officer Chris Doyle.

The deer died of injuries sustained in the chase Jan. 2 by a medium-sized black dog.

Doyle said the witness would be to able to identify the dog if he saw it again.

It’s against the law to allow a dog to pursue game or wildlife and anyone charged and convicted of the offence under the Wildlife Act could face a $345 violation ticket or, in a serious case, court proceedings.

"We don’t want dogs chasing wildlife because a lot of times the wildlife ends up dead," said Doyle. "It gets chased into fences and caught in them or chased onto roads or railway tracks, into lakes and sometimes if more than one dog is involved they will bring the animal down and kill it.

"It is really hard on the animal. Even if they aren’t killed, they still expend a lot of energy in the chase."

Doyle said his office receives a number of complaints each year about dogs that are allowed to run free and chase wildlife.

Last year conservation officers responded to several complaints about dogs chasing moose in Pemberton and deer along Alta Lake Road in Whistler.

"It probably happens more than we know about," said Doyle adding that dogs must be leashed or under control when out walking.

Anyone with information can confidentially call 1-877-952-7277.