Thunder Bay

Deer chases and attacks 2 women, pet dog

A Kenora woman is calling for action on the expanding deer population after being attacked by a doe.

Mayor calls meeting to talk about deer population

Lori Dingwall, right, her pet dog and her friend Nancy were chased and attacked by a deer last Thursday. (CBC)

A Kenora woman is calling for action on the city's expanding deer population after being attacked by a doe last Thursday.

Lori Dingwall was walking with a friend and her dog on Valley Drive. When they noticed the deer they decided to cross the road.

But the animal pursued them, then cornered them at a house.

Dingwall tried to put the tree between her, her dog and the deer, but the doe chased her, forcing her and her companion to run to a nearby house and get between two doors while trying to fend off the animal.

"She didn't seem to back off at all," Dingwall said.

"And then she did catch me with her hooves coming down. And I remember Nancy was hitting the deer on the neck, and I was grabbing her nose, and we were twisting her ears, and she just wouldn't back off. She was just right there."

Dingwall's dog, Ozzy, was attacked by the doe and sustained some minor injuries. (CBC)

The woman and her dog managed to escape with bruises but she said the encounter has made her nervous about going out.

"I thought we were going to die," she said.

Dingwall wants Kenora residents to stop feeding deer and worries about what would happen if a child were attacked.

Kenora Mayor David Canfield is holding a meeting on Friday because of recent run-ins between citizens and aggressive deer.

City officials will discuss options to deal with the deer population with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.