Muntjac deer and dogs

[Wendy Woo]

Im not really sure how to word this. My Mum sometimes walks her friends dog, a Saluki Lurcher. She thinks it caught and killed a young Muntjac deer recently. I know Muntjac breed all year round, and I know adults can be feisty, so am only guessing it was a youngster. What my Mum is worried about, is the law regarding this ? Could my Mum or her friends be prosecuted ? I have already recommended the lurcher has a muzzle when it is taken out from now on.

[Dogghound]

I think she should get some control for a start, its unacceptable to allow a dog to do this, regardless of the fact that muntjac are a serious pest. They can be shot at anytime of year and are schedule 9 listed which is really in regards to transportation and catching of this species.

[Jonathan]

Originally Posted by Wendy Woo

Im not really sure how to word this. My Mum sometimes walks her friends dog, a Saluki Lurcher. She thinks it caught and killed a young Muntjac deer recently. I know Muntjac breed all year round, and I know adults can be feisty, so am only guessing it was a youngster. What my Mum is worried about, is the law regarding this ? Could my Mum or her friends be prosecuted ? I have already recommended the lurcher has a muzzle when it is taken out from now on.

Apart from a few exceptions (rabbits, rats, foxes under license, etc.) it's illegal to kill any mammal in the UK with dogs. It's unlikely your mum would be prosecuted for trespassing in pursuit of game - poaching to you and me - however! There's little chance of breaking the dog to deer - it's hard enough breaking sighthound pups to game let alone an adult dog. I wouldn't recommend you muzzle the dog either - if it chases a roe (for instance) and can't hold it the dog may run for miles, taking it across roads, risking not only the dog's life but road users too. My advice would be to only excercise the lurcher in areas where there is absolutely no chance of it seeing deer, not even distant ones (they're called 'sighthounds' for good reason BTW!), or keep it on a leash at all times. Salukis have been bred for, literally, thousands of years to pursue game, your mum's walking about with a potentially lethal deer-killing machine!

There's no reason why the muntjac wouldn't be an adult, saluki lurchers wouldn't have much trouble in taking deer up to the size of a roe. Has someone seen the lurcher kill a deer? Some may not agree, but if the deer's dead there seems little point in your mum 'confessing' her crimes to anyone. The best thing she can do is to ensure it never happens again.

Cheers
Jonathan

[Kayleigh]

Agreed its best to walk the dog somewhere it will never encounter deer and keep it on a lead.
I have a springer she has no interest in deer or sheep but if any thing smaller passes by say a pheasant she goes wild she is never let off the lead.
No matter what we have tried she will not come to call when she is hunting so she is not given the choice any more.

[John_M]

The dog is clearly not under control, I'd say keep it on a lead.

[fairplay]

Wendy,

A question that needs addressing is WHY did your Mums friend buy such a dog in the first place ? To be honest, I would have been furious if I had seen this as I have seen 3 muntjac deer attacked and savagely bitten by out of control dogs already.
Please don't think I'm getting at you because I am not, and also I believe you made a sensible decision in coming to WAB for advice.
But this is a question your Mum should ask of her friend, for it is not fair on your Mum to take on the responsibility of walking a totally unsuitable dog for the area it is in.

In theory, Your Mum could be prosecuted for not having a dog under control and causing unnecessary suffering, but if nobody reported the incident ...

Neil.

[Billabong Karen]

Hi Wendy, what a horrible thing to have happened. Quite clearly this dog cannot be allowed off the lead any more, unless it is taken to a greyhound meet and allowed to run under controlled conditions. I really think though it is not fair for your mother to be expected to take the responsibility for this animal (unless she doesn't mind keeping it on the lead, that is). Now this dog has killed believe me she will never be able to trust it - any time it sees something to chase, it will be off. And that doesnt just mean deer, it could be a rabbit, or a cat, or even a small dog - anything that runs away. Its not the dog's fault - that's what it was bred for. And if the animal it is chasing runs over a road, that could cause a terrible accident - a dead deer could be the least of your problems.

I am sorry to be the voice of doom, but this could turn into a really bad scenario. You need to be firm with your mum. This dog is now a danger both to wildlife, and potentially to the public. It must be kept on the lead.

[Wendy Woo]

Thanks for all your replies. I have passed them on to my Mum and her friend. I

[Billabong Karen]

Good luck. Do let us know what happens.