Dealing with deer . . . and what they leave behind

The deer with the beard is back. It’s a very large doe that regularly strolls, grazes and naps in the narrow strip of land behind our fenced backyard. Sometimes four or five deer meander through and behind the backyards of my Mt. Lebanon neighbors. A sleek, shiny doe trailed by two spotted fawns is a personal favorite.

This all happens in broad daylight.

The deer that stands out has very distinctive long, scraggly hairs on her chin. She’s always alone. Her coat looks dull and scruffy. Sometimes when she stops to stare and stomp her feet at our dog, great gobs of saliva stream from her mouth. I feel sorry for her, but she and the others scare me, because the deer have lost their fear of people and dogs.

For 23 years there had never been deer near our yard, presumably because we live on heavily traveled Cedar Boulevard, a half block from four lanes of Route 19 and the Mt. Lebanon shopping district. For the past three years, we’ve been seeing deer with increasing frequency.

I watch in horror as does jump into our yard, effortlessly clearing the 4-foot chain-link fence. I was happy that Pablo, our cocker spaniel, wasn’t out in his yard because deer have attacked and stomped dogs.

Pablo never barks at the deer. He runs to the fence and wags his tail. He seems to especially like the spotted fawns.

The residents and elected officials of Mt. Lebanon have come under fire from animal rights activists because “we” have decided that the deer population has burgeoned out of control and the herd must be thinned. Out-oftown protesters scoff at residents’ complaints about what the deer leave behind — feces, big piles of it. Some people find five or six piles every day. It’s not just the smell. People worry about dogs that love to eat it. So I sought advice from experts.

Are deer feces harmful to dogs?

“That’s a totally valid question,” said Justin Brown, wildlife veterinarian for the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Bureau of Wildlife Management. “I think there are unresolved issues, and more research may be needed.”

Deer and other wildlife often have intestinal parasites, what non-veterinarians would call “worms,” which along with their larvae can be excreted. Dogs, cats or people cannot get worms from touching or eating feces, Mr. Brown said.

Feces generally contain bacteria, including E. coli, “some strains more serious than others,” he said. “I really don’t see a huge problem” if dogs eat feces, although they might get diarrhea.

“Gastrointestinal problems are one of the most common things seen by veterinarians,” Mr. Brown said, and it can be hard to pinpoint the cause. A vet may advise several days on a bland diet or prescribe antibiotics for more serious upsets.

Will deer feces harm your grass, flowers and vegetables? I asked Denise Schreiber, the horticultural consultant known as “Mrs. Know It All” on KDKA Radio 1020.

Deer feces are not as “hot” as horse, cow or chicken manure, Mrs. Schreiber said. Deer feces “will not burn your grass unless you leave it there all day.”

You can immediately apply fresh deer feces to your garden beds, she said. Work it into the soil or use it as “side dressing” along the edges of gardens. Or, use a rake to spread it out over the yard, where it will fertilize your grass and the soil beneath it.

New ARL building

Ground was broken July 17 for the Animal Rescue League and Wildlife Center’s “Forever Home” in Homewood. Construction is expected to take 16-18 months.

With 35,000 square feet, it will be almost twice as big as the current shelter on Hamilton Avenue in Larimer. That property has been traded to the owner of part of the new site, and staff and animals will stay in the old shelter, rent-free, until the new place is ready in late 2016.

The 4-acre site of the new shelter includes the hives and honeybees of Burgh Bees. The bees and their keepers will not be evicted.

“This will be a nice partnership,” said Dan Rossi, executive director of the Animal Rescue League Shelter and Wildlife Center.

Burgh Bees teaches people how to be beekeepers, but they do it outside amid their hives. The nonprofit “does not have any interior education space, so we will let them use our community room,” Mr. Rossi said.

The honeybees pose no risks to the shelter dogs or the volunteers who walk them. I saw the bees and their keepers last Saturday when I attended the free Open Apiary tour. Although bees flew around the veiled heads and faces of visitors, no one was stung. The sweet-tempered honeybees are too focused on pollinating plants and making honey, our tour guides said.

Rabies, chip clinic

Animal Care and Welfare’s annual Rabies & Microchip Clinic is 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday at PA Fitness West, 600 Penn Lincoln Plaza, Imperial (15126). No appointments necessary; just walk in. Rabies shots are $10, microchipping is $30 and nail clips are $8. Cats must arrive in carriers, and dogs must be leashed.

Dog hike

Hollow Oak Land Trust events usually cater to hikers and bikers, but for the first time it has scheduled a dog hiking event. The Dog Days of Summer from noon to 4 p.m. Aug. 9 starts at the 1900 Hassam Road Trail Head in Moon (15108).

Volunteers will lead dogs and their people (limit of one dog per person) on the hikes. The one-hour Alpha Dog Ascent hikes will start at noon and 2 p.m. Thirtyminute Lap Dog Lap hikes start at 12:30, 1;30, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. There will also be dog demos, a doggie photo booth, a hot dog cookout and the chance to meet Coraopolis police K-9 officers.

The event is free, but sign up at http://holtdogdays. or go to www.hollowoak.org for more information. Email sheisler@hollowoak.org with questions.