A therapy dog that worked with people with autism and PTSD was shot to death by a hunter who mistakenly believed the pet was a wild animal.

Valeria Calderoni, founder of Canine Valley rehabilitation middle in Squamish, B.C. says Kaoru was shot at signal bare range while she was out with a trainer and nine dogs on their regular Monday morning hike north of the city.

They were putting leashes back onto the dogs when she heard a bang so loud that she instinctually crouched downwardly.

That's when she saw her four-year-old pup had been hit by a bullet, simply iii metres abroad from her. The distraught possessor tried to save her dog but the injuries were too grave.

"There was a huge corporeality of claret. I just told her to 'let go' and she died," she said.

"This man took my dog'due south life considering he idea she was a wolf. We could have died."

Kaoru was a Tamaskan dog, a rare Finnish brood. The working dog was specifically bred to look similar a wolf past mixing the Siberian husky, Alaskan malamute and German shepherd breeds, according to the website Canis familiaris Breed Plus.

The BC Conservation Service has launched a full investigation into what it calls a "very unfortunate situation."

Sgt. Simon Gravel said the shooter is claiming misidentification of the species. He was hunting for deer on Crown land but "believed the beast was a wolf."

While deer hunting is allowed in the surface area, wolf hunting is not, Gravel added.

squamish dog shot by hunter

Calderoni says she frequently hikes in the region with children, and believes that the hunter could have easily striking one of them instead.

"Could you imagine if a child had to feel that? Or worse, if he had hit a child?" she said.

Kaoru worked as an emotional therapy dog whose biggest talent was working to at-home children with autism.

"These beautiful kids have episodes and would sometimes be rough with her, but Kaoru was astonishing and followed her training perfectly. She would squint her eyes, lay downwards, and let out a sigh, the kids then would slowly brainstorm to calm downwards as their easily crunched tightly on Kaoru's fur," she said.

In a region commonly used by hunters, dog walkers, mountain bikers and hikers akin, conservation officials say the dog's death serves every bit an important reminder for anyone using the backcountry.

"E'er be very visible when you walk in the forest, knowing information technology's hunting flavor," Gravel told CTV Vancouver.

"It's also of import for hunters to be 100 per cent sure of their target before they shoot an animate being."

Now grieving her pet, Calderoni has started an online campaign to have hunting banned in the area.

"This is a huge tragedy," she said. "Something good should come of Kaoru's death."

The hunter is cooperating with its investigation.