D'oh! A Deer!

A dog owner has warned others to be alert after her pet was attacked by a deer.

Ten-year-old dog Patsy survived the attack but owner Pauline Smith, of Hei-Lin Way, Ludgershall, wants people to be aware of the dangers of deer, especially during the breeding season.

Gosh, it must have been terrifying, a giant stag charging, antlers flailing, nostrils flared...

Oh.

Mrs Smith, a part-time carer, was walking Patsy and her daughter Nettie Ralph’s 19-month-old dog Eddie in nearby Collingbourne Woods on May 21 when the incident happened.

Although she did not see the attack she heard rescue dog Patsy, who she adopted four years ago, yelp and saw her walk back on three paws, unable to use her front leg.

So, Sherlock, since the dog wasn't on a leash and under your control at the time, then:

a) You're to blame, and
b) How do you know it was a deer?

Initially it was thought that Patsy had impaled herself on a stick, until deer hair was found underneath the skin.

Aha!

Comments are interesting. Most agree it's her own fault for not ensuring her dog was under her control. But someone shows even more ignorance of the natural world:

sniffydogs says...

Breeding season is in the fall. She was probably protecting her fawn.

Unless Patsy came across a very out-of-place reindeer, it's unlikely 'she' would have had antlers...

Still, as Mark Wadsworth points out (in relation to similar stories from Richmond Park) at least deer play the man and not the ball, unlike cattle, that'll trample you, rather than your dog!