Plea over dog attacks

From the The Argus, first published Sunday 4th Mar 2007.

Wildlife rescuers are pleading for dog owners to keep their pets under control after a series of attacks.

Police called for help from an animal ambulance team after a greyhound set upon a deer in Stanmer Park, Brighton.

It was the second time in a week they had been called to a dog attack in the city.

Maz Marriott, of East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service, went to the park yesterday to find that the deer and dog had been caught and the deer then released.

He said: "The owner of the greyhound had never seen deer at the park before and was not expecting the dog to find one, let alone chase one.

"The dog's collar became caught on the deer's antlers but the dogs was not caused any injury, according to the owner."

Park rangers drove Mr Marriott around the site to try and find the deer in case it was lying injured but they could not find it.

Deer are not common at Stanmer Park but do occasionally visit.

On Wednesday, the Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service was called out to a swan attacked by a dog at Hove lagoon.

The swan is now at the National Swan Sanctuary in Surrey where it is in serious condition but starting to respond to treatment.

Trevor Weeks, founder of the rescue service, urged all owners to take care when walking their dogs and keep them under control.

He said: "Many people do not train their dogs to return to them when something like this happens.

"Dog training is very important and can make the difference between life and death of the dog, let alone a wild animal.

"If a dog sees a rabbit or deer the dog may end up running across a road chasing it and be hit by a car.

"Dog-attacked victims are some of the worst we deal with. At Christmas I dealt with a dog-attacked badger at Abbots Wood near Hailsham. The badger was very badly injured internally.

"I was at the Scottish Wildlife Crime Conference in Kindcardine last week, where veterinary pathologist Hal Thompson showed photos of the severe internal damage caused to small animals when attacked by dogs.

"Their internal organs are turned to pulp in the violent shaking by the dog."

The Argus reported last week that dogs killed five newborn lambs in Castle Goring.

Landowner Clem Somerset discovered their bloody corpses in a field to the east of Clapham Woods during a routine inspection of his livestock.

He said: "The way the attack went it would most likely to have been more than one dog.

"And they were serious hunting dogs. They went straight for the neck.

"I would have to think they had strayed from their owner."

In January, a dead sheep was spray-painted with the words "Dogs on leads, please" on farmland in Woodingdean, Brighton.

It is believed a farmer spray-painted the sheep after becoming increasingly frustrated by his livestock being attacked.

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