A woman known for rehabilitating deer and even allowing one into her home was tragically discovered dead after being attacked by one of the animals she was caring for.
On the evening of Saturday, November 15, Ohio law enforcement responded to an urgent call reporting an animal attack at 64-year-old Jodi Proger’s residence in Stewartsville. Officers arrived on the scene around 10:30 pm.
Upon their arrival, Sheriff James Zusack reported that family members indicated Proger had been trapped inside a pen with a male deer she was attempting to rehabilitate. The aggressive deer attacked, and despite efforts by witnesses to intervene, they were unable to save her from the assault.
“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,” Sheriff Zusack detailed.
Proger had multiple deer on her property, but it remains unclear which specific stag was responsible for her death.
Local coroners, who were called to the scene, found no evidence of foul play in the death of the devoted mother, grandmother, and deer enthusiast, who leaves behind her husband, daughter, and three grandchildren.
Proger’s dedication to animal rehabilitation began over a decade ago after she discovered an injured fawn in 2013. The fawn, which she named Wheezer, had lost its mother to a car accident, prompting Proger to take it into her home.
“I wasn’t gonna do it but I did it,” she shared in a 2015 interview with The Dodo, expressing her delight at seeing the young deer ‘running back and forth’ within her home.
Wheezer integrated into the Proger family, bonding with other pets. “He’ll climb up on the loveseat and he’ll watch a little TV and he’ll crash on the loveseat,” she said.
“Him and the dog will lie on the floor with each other. He loves the cats — he licks them to death.”
The experiences with Wheezer motivated Proger to extend her care to other injured animals and to support like-minded individuals in her community.
The 64-year-old’s obituary reads: “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.
“Jodi was appreciative and thankful for all of her ‘Wheezer Warriors.’ ”
Days after the incident, Proger’s daughter Jennifer Bryan vehemently denied that Wheezer was responsible for the attack.
“Wheezer DID NOT kill my mother, he was neutered per the requirements of ODNR when she received her permit,” she said.
“My mom knew the dangers of owning deer, she’s been doing this for 12 years.
“This is a sad tragedy and we deserve RESPECT and time to grieve.”
It is believed that another deer under Proger’s care was responsible. Bryan explained that her mother was working alone in an enclosure when the attack occurred.
Her husband was hospitalized in the ICU due to a workplace accident at the time of the animal attack. Concerned after being unable to reach Proger, Bryan dispatched her husband to check on her 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,” Bryan recounted in a Facebook post. “The deer almost broke my husband’s hands during the struggle.”
Faced with a difficult decision due to the deer’s aggression, the family made a tough call.
“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,” Bryan stated.
Unfortunately, by the time assistance reached Proger, it was too late to save her.
“I then had to call and talk to my stepdad who was in ICU burn unit and tell him his wife was gone,” Bryan continued. “I’m sure you could imagine the heartache that was exchanged as I stood outside screaming and crying for my mother.”