Dogs savage deer to death

DOG owners were warned yesterday that they must keep their pets under control in Suffolk's forests after a small deer was savaged to death.

The Forestry Commission said it would consider taking people to court to face prosecution if further distressing incidents occurred in the forests near Woodbridge.

On Sunday two dogs chased a Muntjac deer in the northern end of Rendlesham Forest near Friday Street and killed the deer between 4pm and 4.30pm. One dog was described as a Labrador cross and the other dog was a large animal but the breed is unknown.

Richard Davis, forest manager, said a couple from Ipswich spotted the attack and they said there were two women walking with the dogs who then left the scene and did not want to take responsibility for what had happened.

Mr Davis said: ''Forestry by-laws quite clearly state that dogs should be kept under control. This is a clear example where somebody selfishly and thoughtlessly did not have them under control.

''What happened here was an extreme case but this is what it can come to if people are thoughtless and under the by-laws in extreme cases we would consider prosecution.

''Dogs do get excited from time to time and if you let them get away they can get out of control. When dogs run away and go round a corner anything could happen. There could be children, bicycles, vehicles or horses round the corner.''

Mr Davis said they did not receive many incidents of dogs worrying other animals but he stressed that all types of animals, including those in the undergrowth, were potentially at risk when dogs were left to go out of control.

The Muntjac is a small deer found in south east Asia which was introduced in England in recent years. They are sometimes known as ''barking deer'' because of their voice and they mostly live in dense vegetation and do not form herds.

richard.smith@eadt.co.uk