Today's video ended very dramatically... Drake caught up to a small fawn and injured it. It's not captured on the video, I made a cut towards the end, also because the camera got knocked down and nothing was visible for the most part. I had to call a rescue station and they took the fawn to a vet... I am devastated and also firmly resolved now that something has to be done to prevent this from ever happening again in the future... So no more forests and no more meadows, we will be traversing the roads, tracks and paths only from now, which sucks, but that's the least we can do.. Furthermore, I will be on a constant look out for signs that Drake found a track or a scent (hopefully that won't be happening on roads) and I might have to cut Drake's anti-pain injections for the duration of the spring, so he regains some limitations he used to have in the past (that's why none of this happened in the past 3 years, before he started receiving those injections...). All in all, this cannot happen again and I will do everything I can to prevent it. Of course you might argue that a leash is the only sure way to prevent this and I would agree, but as much as this bothers me and pains me, I don't want to drag Drake on a leash and let him strangle himself the whole walk (he's that type of dog that cannot really normally walk on a leash). And since this is not a common occurrence, I don't want to ruin our everyday walks for both of us for a month or two... I hope these steps I plan to implement immediately will be enough to make sure this never happens again... And I would consider leash (or alternatively a muzzle basket) as a last resort. But if it still turns out to be problematic, it is what will have to be done...
Please be cautious out there with your dog/s in this sensitive season and take my case as a cautionary tale... Dogs follow their instincts, which is completely normal and they are not at fault. It's our responsibility to prevent situations like these. We are their caretakers. So it's up to us. And if your dog has a strong prey drive, just like Drake does, watch out...
Oh and if you come across a fawn and it is not visibly injured, don't touch it, don't handle it in any way... The parents are nearby and they are actively taking care of the fawn while it is in its hideout. So unless you see a visible injury, please leave it be and don't make contact.
Негізгі бет Spring - 31.05.2024 (Rescued a baby blackbird from the road and I have to do something about Drake)
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