Orphaned Deer and Stray Dog Became Unlikely Best Friends at Cemetery

An instant friendship between a stray dog and an orphaned deer has touched everyone who has seen them together. Ella, a one-year-old doe, was born in 2011 at Elmwood Cemetery in Kansas City, Missouri. Her mother was later killed in a traffic accident. Since then, the doe lives near the cemetery and has become an unofficial mascot, often seen attending funerals and other events. The stray female Shar Pei mix arrived at the cemetery a few weeks ago and the pair immediately bonded.

Although some people wanted to keep the two unique friends together, officials at the Elmwood Cemetery became concerned for the dog’s welfare with winter approaching. Although some suggested an outside shelter and leaving food out for the dog, the officials were concerned that this could potentially attract other, less friendly, stray dogs who would terrorize the gentle deer.

They also knew the dog needs regular food and water and shelter so they called an animal rescue for help. Wayside Waifs, a no-kill animal shelter, agreed to help and agreed that the dog’s health and safety was in jeopardy. They managed to lure the dog into a humane trap. Ella was right by her friend as soon as she was caught.

“The reality is heading into winter that a deer is equipped better to survive in the wild. That’s their natural habitat. It’s not humane to leave a dog out without regular food or water. The best thing was to ensure it had warm shelter,” Jennie Rinas of Wayside Waifs told KCTV 5.

“Ella was standing right by the van when the dog departed, looking kind of forlorn,” said John Weilert, president of the Elmwood Cemetery Society. “It breaks my heart that they have to be separated, but they must,” Elmwood trustee Bruce Mathews said in an email to Friends of Elmwood. “Am I sorry they found each other? Absolutely not! I believe they became friends to teach us a lesson, however we each might interpret it.”

The dog remains unnamed for now, although John Weilert named the dog ET, short for EpiTaph and Wayside Waifs is considering the name Elmwood. ‘Elmwood’ will need a lot of socialization. Elmwood, who they guess is between 8 months to a year old, is quite timid and the rescue plans on taking its time helping her adapt to the changes and getting her ready for a forever home.

Bruce said he hopes whomever adopts the dog will bring her back to visit Ella. “The family who does adopt her is more than welcome to bring the pooch back out to visit with Ella anytime they want to.”

DogHeirs member SeniorLass commented on the unlikely friends, “Sad but sweet. Hopefully the new owner of the dog WILL bring them together to visit. Ella needs a friend. She’s too domesticated to run with a pack, maybe when people see this story they’ll go visit Ella too.”

And Darrin Henry wrote, “People live longer when they live their lives in healthy social groups. For some of us, being alone is a fate worse then death. The same can hold true for many types of animals. For dogs this is especially true, being pack animals in the wild.”

Sadly, Ella and Elmwood were not to reunite. A little over half a year after the friends were separated, Ella was inexplicably shot. She was found by cemetery security guards early one evening when they were closing the cemetery.

Bruce Mathews, still a board member at the time, told KCUR News, “”The rational mind can’t try to even figure something like this out. Everybody who looked after her, everybody who would come to visit the cemetery, the officers from the East Patrol station – all I can say is it was somebody with a hard heart and confused mind.”

“We’ll miss her,” Mathews said. “She was a wild animal. She was not a pet. But she was family, and she touched everybody who came to the cemetery.”

Although their friendship was brief, Ella made a lasting impression on the community and her friendship with Elmwood helped get her off the streets and adopted.