Pet owners warned after report of wolves chasing dog on southern Vancouver Island

The B.C. Conservation Officer Service and a wildlife education group on southern Vancouver Island are advising people to use extra precaution with their pets after a report of wolves chasing an unleashed dog in the Metchosin/East Sooke area early Monday morning.

Wild Wise Society told CBC the report made mention of "two or three wolves."

"There's really not a lot of clarity on how many animals were involved in the incident and how far [the dog] was followed," said Mollie Cameron, Wild Wise's president.

"I can provide that the resident returned to their home with their dog and nobody was injured."

The Conservation Officer Services (COS) told CBC it investigated the incident. In a statement, it said that wolves are common on Vancouver Island and can be encountered in wilderness and rural settings at any time.

"Wolves are territorial animals and during the incident [Monday] they exhibited natural territorial behaviour," said the COS. 

Cameron said while wolves tend to be elusive and avoid humans, it's not entirely unusual for a wolf to approach an unleashed dog.

"Wolves specifically try to elicit a flight response from their prey because it gives them an advantage of the chase. Not many things can outrun a wolf, especially not a human or oftentimes not dogs," she said.

"If you do encounter a wolf with your dog, the best thing to do is just stay still, remain calm, and make lots of noise. More often than not, a wolf is going to lose interest in not being able to elicit that flight response, and they'll likely retreat."

Recommendations to minimize the risk of conflict with wolves include: 

• Be aware of your surroundings when outdoors and ensure dogs are on a leash at all times.

• Bring free-roaming cats indoors.

• Adequately secure livestock to avoid attracting or provoking wolves.

Cameron said people need to ensure they are not doing things that could attract wildlife and spark conflicts.

"Predators and all wild animals don't understand the human expectations that we've inadvertently placed on them to know that the animals in our care are domesticated and not prey. They just see an opportunity for food," she said.

COS is asking the public to report any wolf interactions to its RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277.

The mission of the Wild Wise Society is wildlife education, promoting peaceful co-existence with wildlife and mitigating human- wildlife conflicts, according to Cameron.