This video probably requires an introductory spoiler, because the content will upset some viewers.
A fawn is discovered on a suburban street, where it is investigated (uneventfully) by a housecat. The doe arrives to guide the fawn away, but then sees a neighborhood dog, and her protective instincts kick into high gear: she ruthlessly pummels the dog with her front hooves. The cat eventually gets in a final slap and then beats a hasty retreat.
The deer's attack on the dog will distress dog owners, but it serves as a reminder that from a deer's point of view a dog is just a well-groomed coyote threatening her offspring.
(The person who posted the video left a followup comment that the dog appeared to recover from the beating.)
A fawn is discovered on a suburban street, where it is investigated (uneventfully) by a housecat. The doe arrives to guide the fawn away, but then sees a neighborhood dog, and her protective instincts kick into high gear: she ruthlessly pummels the dog with her front hooves. The cat eventually gets in a final slap and then beats a hasty retreat.
The deer's attack on the dog will distress dog owners, but it serves as a reminder that from a deer's point of view a dog is just a well-groomed coyote threatening her offspring.
(The person who posted the video left a followup comment that the dog appeared to recover from the beating.)
"The dog eventually left limping—since posting here we have been able to contact the lady. THE DOG IS OKAY, but traumatized.
River, my deer-whispering cat, is fine—we'll? see if he learned his lesson.
We did call animal control, there was "nothing they could do" to prevent further trouble.
Yes, my being there filming contributed to the problem, stressing the doe. And yes, I feel bad about it.
My children live here. Kids walk to school every day. I'd feel a lot better if I knew none of them would ever dream to pet a fawn. I may not have helped this poor dog, I sure believe I might still get to help others."
This was not fun to witness at all—it was as horrifying as it was unexpected. I realize that for anyone who's never seen a deer in their garden, it was all too easy to predict, but if you live in Cranbrook you have deer in your garden 100 days a year, nothing bad ever happens, so you forget it's unnatural.
That's precisely why it is so important for me to share this video with the rest of my community.
The fawn is fine, BTW. Mother deer let their babies sit quietly for up to 24 hours; every year so many fawns are brought into the SPCA or animal control when they should have just let them alone. The fawn looks perfectly healthy (and very young) and the laying down thing was just instinct. If there is danger they lay low in the grass (but there is no tall grass in the suburbs). Deer usually won't go where they are in danger, like a back yard or something and certainly don't go around picking fights with dogs - but they will defend themselves and their fawns.
I doubt that dog is totally fine though, it took a very hard beating. One of my coworkers has a sharpei that got between a mom and her fawn while in her driveway last year and the vet bill was $4,000 due to internal injuries and about a zillion stitches (deer hoofs are sharp).
I hate to see dogs get hurt because of interactions like this, because sometimes they are unavoidable. What makes me sad is that this interaction didn't seem all that unavoidable. She knew the dog's name, so I am a little mystified that she didn't try at the very least to protect it by at least putting the camera down and turning on her garden hose or something.
Ambo, I agree that when people encounter animals and things go to hell it is our fault. I do not agree that a human's life is worth more than a non-human's.
We can try to justify our use and abuse of animals all we like, because WE think WE are the dreamiest evER, but, we're just narcissistic that way.
I do think the dog's human should have armed herself with something big and scary and tried to buffalo the doe off of the dog. Maybe she did and it was removed from the posted part of the vid, but I don't know.
But I do agree that the women with the cam would have been of little help at all. So, for the sake of science, at least we have something to study.
Hey, at least all critters got away with their lives, with the poor dog getting the worst of it but reportedly is on the mend, so all's well that ends well.
May I suggest that persons too lazy to leash their dogs invest in a sharp studded collar and/or harness-wear? In this case, it would have made it harder for the deer to just keep whapping so long.
Just sayin'.