Dogs fatally wound deer while 'owners casually watch' as SSPCA launches probe

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A pack of loose dogs fatally injured a deer while their owners watched on, it has been claimed. The brutal wildlife attack, at around 6.30pm on Monday, is being investigated by the Scottish SPCA after it was reported by a traumatised member of the public.

It is understood that the deer had incurred unsurvivable injuries following the attack in a quarry between Forfar and Kingsmuir in Angus.

Locals say the animal was hounded by dogs that were not on leads - and were not stopped by their owners until it was too late.An eyewitness told the Record: "My mum noticed a dog chasing a deer, then when we went to look properly there was roughly five dogs."We shouted at the men to get their dogs and they shouted something back but I couldn't hear. "It may have been an accident but they didn't shout on their dogs or try to stop them. "Even after we shouted at them and the deer had been caught by the dogs they still just casually walked over to the dogs still attacking the poor deer and got some of the dogs to leave it and had to pick another one up to get it to stop."The witness said the deer was still alive by the time she reached it, though it had suffered mortal wounds.She added: "There was a gentleman at the side that seemed to talk to the three guys when they got out the field and made it to the track."He was walking his own dog at the time but I have no idea what he said to them."We went down the quarry to see the deer that sadly was badly attacked but still alive so we phoned the SSPCA who said they would come out."But when they had the deer had passed, they said they would be passing it to their inspector for an investigation."The animal sadly died before officers could reach it to provide help, according to Scottish SPCA