The heartbroken father of a teenage tourist found dead on a remote island beach, surrounded by a pack of dingoes, has revealed his only daughter was a devoted animal lover who once rescued a stray dog while travelling overseas. 

Canadian backpacker Piper James, 19, was camping on Queensland’s remote K’gari Island, when at about 5am she told friends she was heading out for an early-morning swim.

Less than an hour later, her body was discovered on the shoreline by two people travelling in a 4WD, with multiple defensive wounds, as a dozen dingoes were reportedly nearby.

Police are yet to determine whether Piper drowned or was killed by dingoes.

Originally from Campbell River in British Columbia, Ms James had been travelling Australia with her best friend Taylor for six weeks on what her family described as the trip of a lifetime.

In the days since the tragedy, Piper’s devastated father, Todd James, has shared a series of deeply personal tributes, painting a picture of a kind-hearted young woman with a lifelong love of animals and motorsport.

Among the memories were photographs of Piper with the family dog and a story from a holiday in Jamaica.

Mr James revealed that during the family trip, Piper fell in love with a local stray dog that lived near their hotel.

The family ultimately took the animal to a vet and helped find her a new home.

Piper’s devastated father Todd James has shared a series of deeply personal tributes

Among the memories were photographs of Piper with her mum, Angela, and the family dog

Piper James had a lifelong love of animals 

‘This beautiful little girl we met on the beach in Jamaica,’ Mr James wrote.

‘Sandy lived in a cave next to the hotel we stayed at. She was so loving and gentle. I believe this is why tourists fed her regularly.’

He said the dog was clearly suffering, covered in fleas, with cuts and sores that made it painful for her to move.

‘Fleas had obviously got the better of her. With all the little scratches and cuts it hurt her too much,’ he wrote.

‘I fell in love with her, as did Ang and Piper.’

Mr James said the visit to the vet became one of the most meaningful moments of the entire holiday.

‘Trip to the vets was the best part of my vacation,’ he wrote.

‘I can’t wait to go back and swim with little Miss Sandy.’

Piper fell in love with a street dog on holiday in Jamaica 

The family took the street dog to the local vet and arranged for someone to look after her 

Mr James also reflected on how his daughter struggled with goodbyes

‘My friend Jacqueline continues to care for her and I promised her, together we will care for her.’ 

Other posts shared by Mr James show the close bond he shared with his daughter, including their mutual passion for motorbike riding.

Friends and family flooded the comments with messages of support, describing Piper as adventurous and deeply compassionate.

In a now heartbreaking post from 2022, Mr James reflected on how his daughter struggled with goodbyes as the family prepared to sell their home and move provinces.

‘I try to tell Piper don’t be sad because you’re saying goodbye,’ he wrote at the time.

‘You should be happy because you have the memories with them that you’ll cherish a lifetime.

‘Goodbyes are not forever. Goodbyes are not the end. They simply mean I’ll miss you until we meet again.’

A post-mortem has been conducted on her body.

If authorities determine her death was caused by native animals, it would be the first fatal dingo attack in the country in 25 years. 

Police are still working to determine whether Ms James drowned or was mauled by a pack of dingoes

The Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation claimed it has repeatedly urged authorities to cap visitor numbers on K’gari

Traditional owners of K’gari have accused the Queensland government of ignoring safety warnings for more than 25 years.

The Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation claimed it has repeatedly urged authorities to cap visitor numbers on K’gari and periodically close the island to tourists to prevent dingo attacks. 

‘Personally I can’t stress enough that K’gari needs to be closed down during certain periods, and sometimes those periods will come in at peak seasons for visitors,’ project officer Tessa Waia told the Courier-Mail.

‘If you’ve got a government that’s more interested in the tourism economy than the wongari (dingo), the island is going to suffer.’