A woman who spent years helping injured deer was found dead after one of the animals turned on her. She had been inside an enclosure on her property when the attack started and no one could reach her in time.
Law enforcement got the emergency call late on a Saturday night and when they arrived they learned she had been trapped with a male deer she was trying to rehabilitate. The sheriff said family members tried to save her, but the deer was too aggressive for anyone to get close.
The sheriff said: “Family members attempted to intervene and dispatch the animal prior to the arrival of law enforcement to reach the victim; however, the animal was ultimately dispatched by responding deputies to ensure scene safety.” Deputies cleared the area so paramedics could get in, but the woman was already gone.
She had been caring for injured wildlife for more than ten years, and it all started after she found an orphaned fawn in 2013. She named him Wheezer and let him live inside the house and she once said in an interview: “I wasnt gonna do it but I did it.” She talked about how the little deer ran around the home and acted almost like a pet.
She said the deer would sit on the loveseat and even watch some TV and then fall asleep. She also said he liked the dog and licked the cats all the time which made everyone laugh.
Her work with Wheezer pushed her to start helping other animals and she shared her knowledge with people in her community. Her obituary said she gave her time and support to anyone trying to care for injured wildlife and she was grateful for her group of supporters.
Investigators from state agencies came to the property to look into how the deer were housed and whether everything was handled the right way. They are still reviewing what happened.
Her daughter later responded to people online who assumed Wheezer was responsible. She said: “Wheezer DID NOT kill my mother, he was neutered per the requirements of ODNR when she received her permit.”
She also said her mom understood the risks because she had been doing this work for many years. She said: “This is a sad tragedy and we deserve RESPECT and time to grieve.”
The family explained that another deer was the one involved, and the woman had been working alone when she got trapped in the enclosure. Her daughter said her husband had been trying to check on her because they had not heard from her.
Her daughter said her husband searched the whole property until he found the deer loose and acting out of control. She said in a post that the deer almost broke his hands while he tried to shut it in.
Things got so dangerous she told him to use his gun if it was the only way to reach her mother. She said she stands by that call because they had no idea how bad the situation was.
By the time help got to her, there was nothing they could do. Her daughter said she then had to call her stepdad who was in the ICU and tell him his wife had died and she described the moment as the worst thing she has ever had to do.
