Video surveillance caught the moment a deer wandered into an Edmonton thrift shop Wednesday morning—and escaped by leaping through a cabinet of china dishes and out the front window.
Mission Thrift Store’s general manager John Francis said staff had just opened shop for the day when the animal entered through the back of the store.
“The donation bay at the back of the store was wide open and a lovely little deer came through,” Francis told CTV News Edmonton.
“Kinda made some quick stops throughout the racks, and then got spooked by the cashier and jumped through the front window.”
“No one really expected that,” Francis recalled.
“I think quickly it knew it wasn’t where it belongs.”
The store’s surveillance caught the last seconds of what Francis called the deer’s “field trip.”
The deer runs into frame, gets tangled as it tries to jump through the lowest shelf of a window-facing cabinet, then scrambles out the front window.
“On the video too, it seems effortless almost,” Francis said.
“Doesn’t even get that fast a running start and gets clear through.”
The store is located at 15222 Stony Plain Road, mere blocks away from ravine access. Francis said customers later reported seeing the deer grazing in the area.
“We’ve had vandals and break-ins before, but nothing really wild like that.”
Although the window will be expensive to replace, Francis said the store wouldn’t be making too many protocol changes.
“Maybe we’ll keep all the doors open—and give it a free way out.”
