Local

Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

Stray dogs shot on First Nation where body found

By: Staff

Posted: 01/8/2013 11:20 AM

Stray dogs on God’s Lake First Nation have been rounded up and shot after the body of a teenage girl was found Sunday morning on a snowy trail in the northern community.

The dead teen has been identified by residents as Leah Kendra Anderson, believed to be 15.

RCMP have not confirmed the gender or identify of a body found in the fly-in Cree community, located about 550 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg. But residents confirmed the girl’s remains were found on the weekend. She had been missing since Friday night.

A family member politely declined comment this morning.

An autopsy is expected to be done today to determine the cause of death.

There is fear the girl might have been mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs, which prompted the band to call for the dog cull, said a God’s Lake resident who did not want to be named.

Meanwhile, the mayor of Gods Lake Narrows, the island community next to the First Nation, confirmed hearing gunshots Monday afternoon. Dora Bland said a band official also called to ask if her community wanted their stray dogs culled as well.

"Some dogs were shot… just the dogs running loose," said Bland.

On Monday, residents gathered to pray on a trail where Leah’s remains were found.

"I can confirm that prior to the deceased being removed, that out of respect some community members were afforded an opportunity to hold prayers at the site," RCMP spokesman Cpl. Miles Hiebert said Monday.

Another resident, who refused to be identified, said Leah was attending Grade 10 in another community but was home for the holidays.

The well-liked teen wasn’t accounted for when the First Nation asked households to check the well-being of all family members Sunday.

God’s Lake First Nation Chief Gilbert Andrews refused an interview request this morning.

On Monday, a community member said the remains were discovered by a teenage boy early Sunday morning on a snowmobile trail. By most accounts, the boy spotted a pack of dogs surrounding something and, when he scared them off, he saw the remains on the snow-covered ground.

Peter Andrews, principal of Kindergarten to Grade 9 school in the community, would not confirm the identity of the girl, but said everyone knew the teen who had died.

"It’s pretty somber here," he said this morning. "We are using community resources to accommodate students and staff who need counseling."

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.