A stray German shepherd dog attacked a young fawn in the Krabbenbosschen nature reserve in Breda on Friday morning. The young animal did not survive the attack, despite the frantic efforts of Caroline and her husband Paul from Breda. “This just doesn’t stand a chance, this is what you never want to experience.”
The dog’s owner was not around when it happened. “I was walking with our border collie, on a leash as it should be, when suddenly a deer came out of the bushes with a dog behind it.” The shepherd soon caught the calf. “It was terrible, then he also tried to attack our dog.”
Caroline quickly called her husband and he arrived immediately. He tried to stop the bleeding with a cloth. “But in vain, alas.” Despite the shock, Caroline and her dog are now doing well. “Yesterday I was still very in shock, now I have gained some weight.” She thinks that shepherd should never have run loose. “You never know what your dog is doing. That’s why I always walk the dog on a leash.”
“Unfortunately, this still happens regularly.”
Forest ranger Floris Hoefhakker is very disappointed by the incident. “Dogs should be kept on a leash in this area, but unfortunately this still happens regularly.” According to the ranger, it is for a reason that dogs sometimes have to be on a lead. A forest is divided into different zones. Dogs are allowed to run loose in some areas, but not in others. “It was done in such a way to protect wildlife in the forest.”
Free-ranging dogs are a danger to deer. According to the forester, a deer is a flight animal. This means that the animal starts running as soon as it feels attacked. “That is not just for a few meters, but it can really be hundreds of meters,” explains Hoefakker. This can create even more danger. “A deer, or her or his calf, can therefore just run onto the road and be killed. That is also dangerous for motorists.”
“Everyone should want to avoid this kind of suffering.”
The calves are especially vulnerable. “A fawn lies on the ground and is therefore very vulnerable. A dog can then, as in this case, run towards it and grab the calf by the neck.” The calf is not immediately dead. “In this case, the animal also struggled for half an hour. That has been an enormous agony for such an animal.”
The ranger wants dog owners to be aware of the nature of their animal. “Many dog species are bred to hunt. Even though we like them as pets, that instinct is still there.” According to Hoefhakker, if the owners realize this, a lot of problems can be prevented. “Everyone should want to prevent this kind of suffering,” Hoefhakker says firmly.
The forester therefore wants to urge everyone to let dogs only run loose in areas where that is allowed. “If we find out that that doesn’t happen, the owner could be fined hefty.” If a dog is also used for deliberate hunting, the consequences are even greater. “Then you are breaking the law and a lawsuit can follow and the fines start from five hundred euros. So pay attention to what you do.”