Utah Family's Dog Dies Following Severe Injuries From Unprovoked Deer Attack

In what was reported as an unprovoked deer attack, a Utah family lost their dog after it sustained severe injuries right outside their house.

In Bountiful, Utah, a 15-year-old dachshund named Bella was trampled by a deer in her owner's front yard and later perished from her wounds.

Lacey Randall, Bella's owner, claimed that she and her husband overheard Bella yelping repeatedly and crying repeatedly.

When the couple went outside to look, they discovered Bella being kicked and pinned down to the ground by the deer.

The following morning, Bella reportedly had trouble walking, according to Randall. The dog would yell and turn as her leg would sort of twist out from under her.

The vet suggested Bella be put to sleep because of her advanced age and the difficult surgery she would need to recover from.

Deer Breeding Season

Faith Heaton Jolley, the assistant chief of the Utah Department of Natural Resources Outreach Section, said that about 120 people per year in the US die as a result of deer attacks, which is a startlingly high number.

However, most of these deaths are caused by car accidents and other indirect causes; direct attacks on people or dogs by deer are extremely rare.

Matt Ross, the director of conservation for the National Deer Association, said that he is unable to definitively state why the specific deer attacked a family pet.

This is deer breeding season in many parts of the country, so they might be less wary as they concentrate on finding mates.

Male deer may engage in dominant displays and competition with one another for breeding rights as part of their breeding efforts, and occasionally this will result in physical altercations involving their antlers.

According to Jolley, deer and other big game animals, like moose and elk, can become aggressive for a variety of reasons, including after giving birth to young and even during the breeding season, which starts toeards the end of October to the early weeks of December.

Don Wagner, a deer unit manager from the Penn State Deer Research Center, said that During the "rut," or the time when bucks are breeding, they can be very dangerous.

Due to their extremely high testosterone levels, they will fight against almost anything they feel is trying to challenge them.

Wagner explained that although they frequently start with their antlers, they will also use their hind legs.

A wild buck was seen fighting off several coyotes for more than two hours on video surveillance footage taken from the outside of the facility, according to Wagner.

The buck used either his antlers or his back legs to protect himself when the coyotes came within striking distance.

Wagner believed the buck survived the ordeal, but sadly, the encounter went on outside of the cameras' field of view.

However, officials say that since the gender and species of the deer are both unknown, it is near impossible to determine why the wildlife attacked Bella.

Read also: Colorado Hunter Misses Shot, Suffers Injuries After Aggressive Moose Attack 

Safety for Pets

To prevent attacks like these, Wagner and Jolley both advise keeping pets inside and carefully inspecting the surrounding area before leaving them outside alone.

Wagner said that pet owners should look around the area before letting their dogs out to protect their pets, particularly if they have deer nearby during the spring fawning season or the fall breeding season.

Additionally, it's a good idea to train their dogs to stay away from wildlife.

Jolley gave a reminder that deer are wild animals even though they are not predators.

When wild animals such as mule-deer and others lose their fear of humans or become accustomed to living in cities, it can be especially dangerous.

When camping and hiking, people should always keep their dogs on a leash.

They should also keep them inside at dawn and dusk, when deer, as well as other wildlife, are frequently most active.

Allowing dogs to harass or even chase elk, deer, or moose is illegal in Utah, Newsweek reported.

Related article: Red Deer Tend To Become Introverted as They Age According To Study