A 15-year-old dachshund named Bella was attacked by a deer in her owners' front yard in Bountiful, Utah, and died as a result of her injuries.
According to Bella's owner, Lacey Randall, she and her husband heard Bella "yelping and yelping and crying and crying," KSLTV reported. When they went outside to investigate, they found Bella pinned to the ground by the deer, being kicked by its hooves.
"[She] woke up the next morning, and she was struggling to walk," Randall told KSLTV. "Her leg would kind of twist out, and she would yelp and turn."
Due to her age and the complicated nature of the surgery required to make her well again, the vet recommended that Bella should be put down.
A file photo of an angry-looking male deer. A pet Dachshund was attacked by a deer in Utah, leading to it being put down.A file photo of an angry-looking male deer. A pet Dachshund was attacked by a deer in Utah, leading to it being put down.iStock / Getty Images PlusDeer are responsible for a surprising number of human deaths, with about 120 people dying each year in the U.S. However, this is mostly due to car accidents and other indirect deaths, with cases of deer actively attacking humans and dogs being rare.
"As far as deer attacks on dogs in general, it's not super common, but it definitely does happen," Faith Heaton Jolley, the Outreach Section assistant chief at the Utah Department of Natural Resources, told Newsweek. "We probably get a handful of reports about incidents across Utah each year (it's more common with moose than deer, though)."
"I can't say for certain why this deer in question attacked the owner's pet. In many areas of the country this is the deer breeding season, so they may be less cautious as they focus on finding mates," Matt Ross, the director of conservation at the National Deer Association, told Newsweek. "Part of that breeding effort may include male deer posturing to one another to show dominance and as a means to gain or retain breeding rights, and sometimes that will even lead to a fight using their antlers."
According to Jolley, the reasons for why a deer or other big game animals like moose and elk get aggressive can vary, including after they've had their young, and during the breeding season between late October and early December.
"Bucks can be extremely dangerous during the breeding season or "rut." They have extremely high levels of testosterone and will fight with just about anything that they perceive to be challenging them," Don Wagner, Deer Unit manager at the Penn State Deer Research Center, told Newsweek.
"They usually use their antlers, but they will also kick with their hind legs. I have video surveillance footage from the outside of our facility of a wild buck defending himself from several coyotes for a period of over two hours. When the coyotes got within striking range the buck either used his antlers or back legs to defend himself. Unfortunately the encounter continued out of the cameras view, but I think he survived the attack."
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The sex and species of the deer attacking Bella is unknown, however, so the reason for the attack is uncertain.
Wagner and Jolley both recommend keeping pets indoors, and thoroughly checking the area before leaving them alone outdoors to avoid attacks like these.
"As far as protecting their pets, owners should check the area before leaving their dogs outside," Wagner said. "Especially if they have deer around their house during fawning season in the spring or breeding season in the fall. It's also a good idea to have your dogs trained to not chase wildlife."
"While deer are not predators, they are still wild animals. It is especially dangerous when mule deer and other wild animals become habituated to urban environments or lose their fear of people," Jolley said. "In an effort to avoid conflicts, we recommend that people keep their dogs leashed at all times when out camping and hiking, and that they keep them indoors at dawn and dusk (which is when deer and other wildlife are often the most active.) In Utah, it is against the law to allow your dogs to chase or harass deer, elk or moose."
