‘Running for her life:’ Stray dog rescued from pack of coyotes in Kelowna

KELOWNA – A north Glenmore woman says she rescued a young Australian shepherd from a pack of coyotes last night.

Lorill Jenson was driving home near Snowsell Road around 10 p.m. when she noticed a medium-sized dog sprinting down the road.

“She was running for her life,” Jenson says.

She abandoned her vehicle on the side of the road and after a few blocks of chasing, the exhausted dog finally let her approach.

“I could hear the pack, just insanely loud,” she says.

Jenson says although she never actually saw the coyotes, she had never heard them that close before either and the dog's reaction was unmistakable.

“She was frantic,” she says. “I could hear (coyotes) nearby as soon as I pulled over.”

An animal lover with a dog of her own, Jenson took the Australian shepherd home. After a few good meals and a sleep in a warm bed, she calmed down. Jenson says judging by the smell, the dog has been on its own for a while.

“She was filthy,” she says. “She’s with animal control now and they’ve given her a bath. The little Houdini hopped my seven-foot fence but she’s good on leash, she sits, she stays. She’s a real sweet dog.”

Anyone wishing to claim the dog should contact Regional District of Central Okanagan dog control at (250) 469-6284.

“They haven’t received any word so it doesn’t sound like the owners want her back,” Jenson says.

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