THE DEER KILLER
SAVAGE ATTACK BY UNLEASHED DOG IN RICHMOND PARK LANDS OWNER £600 FINE
A DOG owner whose pet killed a deer in London’s Richmond Park after being let off the lead has been fined £600.
Franck Hiribarne’s red setter Alfie was caught on camera as he savaged a small doe on October 1 last year.
Passers-by tried to separate the two animals, but could not stop what they described as a ‘relentless’ attack.
The dog jumped up and dragged the doe backwards, leaving her with deep wounds to her hind parts and tail, which was partially detached.
The doe also suffered a broken leg after being hit by a car as she tried to get away. She was found collapsed in the ferns a short while later and had to be put down by a gamekeeper. Mr Hiribarne, from Kingston, south-west London, admitted causing or permitting an animal he was in charge of to injure another animal in a Royal Park.
The 44-year-old, who reported the incident himself, said he usually walked Alfie on a lead until well clear of grazing deer and the dog responded well to ‘off lead’ commands.
He told Wimbledon magistrates: ‘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.’
Sgt Pete Sturgess, of the Metropolitan Police’s Royal Parks Command Unit, said later: ‘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.’
Four deer have died from dog attacks in the Royal Parks since March 2020, with 58 incidents of dogs chasing herds. Other royal parks with deer include Bushy and Greenwich.
Richmond Park manager Simon Richards said the toll was a big increase on previous years, adding it was ‘imperative’ owners kept pets under control.