Push for no hunting zone

Photo: Canine Valley

The owner of a therapy dog that was shot dead after being mistaken for a wolf is pushing for a no shoot zone from Whistler to Squamish.

Her pup, named Kaoru, was shot on Tuesday during a routine hike with nine other dogs and just 10 feet from the owner.

Valeria Calderoni, of Canine Valley rehabilitation centre, said she was putting leashes back on her dogs when she heard the gun shot.

“I ran towards her as she stumbled down the road where she collapsed. I tried to save her, I held her, I just knew it was not good. I did not want her to suffer, and I told her "just go, just let go baby girl". She died. I never cried so hard in my life,” said Valeria Calderoni.  

Now, Calderoni is fighting to extend the current 'no hunting and no shoot zone’ by 400 metres.

“This would extend a 400m protection of life zone on either side of the highway,” she said.

The shooter said he misidentified the dog for a wolf while hunting deer on Crown land, even though wolf hunting is not allowed.

Kaoru specialized in calming children with autism.

The centre spent countless hours training Kaoru and will now train a new dog to be a service dog. A GoFundMe page has been created to support these costs.