Coroner investigating after Kamloops woman fatally mauled by dog

KAMLOOPS – Members of the Tk'emlups First Nation near Kamloops are mourning the death of a 78-year-old woman attacked and killed by a dog.

Kathleen Green, an elder of the First Nation, was mauled to death at her home on the southern Interior reserve Saturday night, Jan. 30, by a mixed-breed dog that was chained to a structure in the backyard.

Evidence at the scene shows Green had been feeding the 60 pound dog when she was attacked, according to the B.C. Coroners Service. She was deceased at the scene.

"They are deeply saddened and shocked by the tragedy that took place," family spokesperson Katy Gottfriedson says.

"They ask that the community and other media respect their privacy at this time as they are mourning their mother, their grandmother, sister and aunt," she says.

Emergency crews called to the scene had to shoot the dog because it continued being aggressive as they arrived.

Coroner Barb McLintock says fatal dog maulings are very rare and that this case has raised many questions.

"Sometimes it can just be almost, in a sense, bad luck as to what would make an attack fatal or not fatal, so we need to do a lot of work before we know what might have led this to actually become a fatality," McLintock says.

The victim was a residential school survivor and lived with her grandson.

The dog belonged to a family member.

— This story was updated at 1:52 p.m., Monday, Feb. 1, 2016 to add new information from the coroner.