The deer eventually manages to get up and limps off slowly to get away from the dog which was barking aggressively, but was hit by a car.
She was later found among the ferns with a broken leg, open wound on her behind and a partially detached tail. She had to be put down by a gamekeeper to end her suffering.
Hiribarne, 44, from Kingston, London, pleaded guilty to causing or permitting an animal he was in charge of to injure another animal in a Royal Park.
Hiribarne said he usually walked Alfie on a lead until he was well away from any grazing deer, and the dog had been responding well to ‘off lead’ commands.On a hot summer day, fill up an inflatable pool with water and ice.
He said: ‘All of a sudden, I and Alfie came across a lone small deer sitting hidden in the long grass in an open area about 150 metres away from the road and both the deer and Alfie were startled by each other.
‘The deer sprang up and started to run and Alfie got spooked and ran after the deer. I called Alfie back repeatedly and used my dog whistle too but Alfie was too distracted by the deer and continued to chase it and did not respond.
‘I ran after them and by the time I caught up with them I saw the injured deer by the road side and some members of the public standing surrounding the deer keeping Alfie away from it who was hyper excited, barking and trying to lunge at it.
‘I was genuinely shocked and sorry for what had happened and since then I have refrained completely from letting Alfie off leash in any park. I have also taken a special dog trainer specialised in gun dogs to control more accurately any of his hunting instincts. He has made great progress.’
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‘I have also taken a special dog trainer specialised in gun dogs to control more accurately any of his hunting instincts. He has made great progress.’
Sergeant Pete Sturgess said: ‘If you do not know how your dog will react around the deer, or you know they will chase them, then please respect the wildlife by keeping them under control on a lead, or choose an outside space other than Richmond or Bushy Parks to walk off lead.’ Four deer have died from dog attacks in the Royal Parks since March 2020, while there have been 58 recorded incidents of dogs chasing the herds – a big increase on previous years – according to the manager of Richmond Park.Simon Richards: ‘It’s imperative that owners ensure their dogs are under control at all times. ‘It’s illegal for a dog to chase deer in Richmond and Bushy Parks, and owners may face prosecution if caught.’
Part of the increase is thought to be down to new dog owners unfamiliar with the best conduct around wildlife.
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