Neighbour's dogs, not bear, responsible for woman's death

Family of 54-year-old found dead in 2021 suing Pitt Meadows and blueberry farm

The death of a woman at a blueberry farm in Pitt Meadows — initially attributed to a bear attack — has now been blamed on a neighbour's dogs.

Ping Guo, 54, was found dead among the berry bushes at Doremi Blueberry Farm in the 20000 block of Old Dewdney Trunk Road on Aug. 15, 2021. At the time, conservation officers and police suspected an animal attack, possibly a black bear, and urged the public to take precautions.

But a B.C. Coroner's Service report dated June 2023, and publicly released Thursday, concluded that Guo's injuries and a DNA analysis of hair and saliva samples were consistent with an animal from the canid (dog or wolf) family. It said the dogs responsible were later identified after their DNA was tested after a death at a nearby property 17 months later.

“Guo died of multiple blunt and sharp force injuries sustained in an unwitnessed canid attack,” said the coroner. The coroner ruled Guo's death as accidental.

The Jan. 3, 2023 death that let authorities obtain DNA samples from the animals happened at 20080 Old Dewdney Trunk Rd., beside Doremi's blueberry fields. The body found in the home had lacerations and bite marks consistent with an animal attack, said Mounties.

Police didn't identify the victim, but a court application filed by Guo's family seeking documents from the RCMP about the investigation identified him as Baljit Haer, who had owned the property adjacent to the farm.

Following his death, the dogs were impounded and DNA testing was conducted, the report said. The coroner's service is still investigating that death.

The canines in question, which neighbours have described as Rottweilers, were put down a few weeks after Haer's death.

The coroner's service said Friday it couldn't disclose how long after Guo's death it concluded that a canid (wolf or dog) was the likely cause. But the coroner's service told Postmedia that “other agencies were notified as appropriate.”

The coroner's report contained one recommendation: for the City of Pitt Meadows to “review all relevant policies and procedures pertaining to reports of potential health and safety bylaw violations.” Its report was addressed to the city's planning and development services director.

Spokeswoman Tia O'grady confirmed Friday that the city received the report, but said it wouldn't comment, citing continuing litigation and privacy concerns.

Guo's husband, Jun Peng, and her daughter, Kelsey Peng, filed a civil lawsuit in B.C. Supreme Court against the city, as well as the owners of the blueberry farm, six months after her death. Guo had been invited to go berry picking at the farm, says the suit, which is seeking general and special damages as well as funeral costs and other expenses.

The family is accusing the city of negligence for failing to enforce the city's dog control bylaw on the farm when it knew or ought to have known of an aggressive or vicious dog nearby.

In its response filed Jan. 9, six days after Haer's death, the city denied Guo's death was a result of being attacked by a domestic animal of any kind, “and in particular, a domestic canine.”

The city claimed Guo was at fault for failing to keep “an adequate lookout,” “to pay any or sufficient attention to her surroundings,” “to proceed in a careful and prudent manner,” or “take appropriate, adequate or proper precautions” to “prevent accident and injury” to herself.

The city also claims it was unaware of any aggressive dogs being kept by Haer, who was identified as the dogs' owner in an amendment made to the suit in July 2023.

Haer, who is listed as a defendant, was accused of being negligent in allowing the dogs to be at large and display aggressive behaviour causing injury and death to Guo.

In a response filed last November, representatives for Haer denied being the owner of an “aggressive, vicious and dangerous dog.” It claimed Haer had taken reasonable steps to ensure the dogs remained under appropriate supervision and control.

The Guos' lawsuit also claims the farm's owners, Kae-chang Doong and Changling Zhong, failed to ensure the property was safe for visitors and warning Guo of the possible presence of dangerous animals. They have since denied responsibility for “activities conducted on the blueberry fields.”