NEED TO KNOW
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Jodi Proger was killed after a deer she rescued and kept on her property attacked her while they were trapped in an enclosure together
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According to the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office, “family members attempted to intervene and dispatch the animal prior to the arrival of law enforcement to reach the victim”
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Ultimately, deputies shot the deer to secure the scene and reach the 64-year-old
An Ohio woman has died after a deer she rescued suddenly attacked her.
On Saturday, Nov. 15, deputies were called to Jodi Proger’s property in Stewartsville, around 10:27 p.m. local time, regarding a reported animal attack, according to Sheriff James Zusack.
Upon arrival, family members explained that Proger, 64, had been trapped inside an enclosure with a male deer she was attempting to rehabilitate when the animal had seemingly become aggressive.
“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,” Zusack wrote in a statement. “Tragically, Ms. Proger succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene.”
The Belmont County Coroner’s Office was subsequently contacted to assist and, according to Zusack, no foul play is suspected.
Jodi Proger/Facebook
Jodi Proger and her deer, Wheezer
In 2013, Proger rescued a fawn that was just a few days old after its mom was fatally hit by a car. Since named the animal Wheezer and raised him in her home, which she shared with her husband and their other animals.
“He was running back and forth, back and forth,” Proger told The Dodo in 2015. She said of the moment she decided to rescue the orphaned deer, “I wasn’t gonna do it but I did it.”
Before long, Wheezer became a regular member of the family, free to go in and out of the house as he pleased.
“He’ll climb up on the loveseat and he’ll watch a little TV and he’ll crash on the loveseat,” Proger told the outlet, adding that the deer is kept on a dog tether or in an enclosure when left unsupervised. “Him and the dog will lie on the floor with each other. He loves the cats — he licks them to death.”
Inspired by her experience with Wheezer, Proger became passionate about rescuing injured deer and advocating for animals and wildlife, according to her obituary.
“Jodi provided her knowledge of caring for injured animals and offered assistance to others, which often included advocating and providing resources during their time of need,” the obituary read. “Jodi was appreciative and thankful for all of her ‘Wheezer Warriors.’ ”
Following her tragic death, Proger’s daughter, Jennifer Bryan, clarified that the deer that had attacked her mom was not the one she rescued all those years ago.
“Wheezer DID NOT kill my mother, he was neutered per the requirements of ODNR when she received her permit,” she wrote in a Tuesday, Nov. 18 Facebook post. “My mom knew the dangers of owning deer, she’s been doing this for 12 years.”
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Jodi Proger/Facebook
Jodi Proger and her deer, Wheezer
According to Bryan, Proger was alone at the time of the attack, while her husband was recovering from a work accident in the ICU. When the family was unable to reach her, Bryan sent her husband to the property to search for mother.
“My husband searched the property, unable to locate her [for] what seemed like hours but was probably 20 minutes, he discovered the deer was not locked in and he struggled to close him in,” she explained in the post. “The deer almost broke my husbands hands during the struggle,” she continued in the post. “I told Matt to get his gun, if there was a deer in his way to kill it if he had to get to my mother. I stand by this decision.”
When she called her husband back, however, Bryan knew that something was wrong.
“I then had to call and talk to my stepdad who was in ICU Burn unit and tell him his wife was gone,” she continued. “I’m sure you could imagine the heartache that was exchanged as I stood outside screaming and crying for my mother.”
Along with Bryan, Proger was survived by her sister, three grandchildren and four step-grandchildren.
Read the original article on People
