Pet Dog Caught On Camera Viscously Mauling Deer To Death, Owner Fined Heavily

A dog owner has pleaded guilty months after his pet viciously attacked a red deer at a park in England, forcing local authorities to put the animal down due to the extent of its injuries.

The savage incident, which took place at Richmond Park in London last October, was caught on camera by a cyclist who then formed a barrier with other passers-by to protect the deer from the dog, identified as a red setter named Alfie. However, the deer could not be saved due to the severity of the injuries.

Following this, local authorities issued a warning about an increase in such cases during the lockdown and urged pet owners to keep their dogs leashed.

"This incident highlights that even the most careful of dog owners may not see a deer until it is too late. Your dog may never have chased the deer before, but once is too many, and this deer paid with her life. 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, or choose an outside space other than Richmond to walk off lead," Sergeant Pete Sturgess, from the Met's Royal Parks Command, said in a statement, Evening Standard reported.

The dog owner, identified as 44-year-old Frank Hiribarne, a resident of Kingstone, south-west London, was fined $815 Friday after he admitted to "causing or permitting an animal he was in charge of to injure another animal."

"I was genuinely shocked and sorry for what had happened and since then I have refrained completely from letting Alfie off the leash in any park," Hiribarne said in a statement, BBC reported. "I have also taken a special dog trainer specialised in gundogs to control more accurately any of his hunting instincts. He has made great progress."

Meanwhile, Richmond Park manager Simon Richards said at least 58 similar incidents have been reported since March 2020 and that it was "completely unacceptable."

"It’s imperative that owners ensure their dogs are under control at all times," he said.