MANY dog walkers use St Mary’s Fields, Kidlington, to walk their pets. A large number let their dogs off the lead, to run and enjoy the space.

However, this also means that some of the dogs chase the few deer that still live in the area.

St Tiggywinkles, the wildlife charity, based near Aylesbury, reliably informs me that it is an offence if any dog owner wilfully allows their dog to chase wildlife or livestock.

It seems then that there is a large mismatch between dog owners, who I am sure will claim to be an animal lovers, and what they allow their animals to do.

I have spoken to one dog owner who has said to me that he believes the deer actually enjoy being chased.

Today's Letters

I have spoken to another dog owner who has said they now muzzle their animal as it caught deer in the past but now that it is muzzled, they still allow it to chase them.

I have spoken to other dog owners who have said their dogs have caught deer.

While deer are not protected and are considered fair game for poachers, and quite possibly a nuisance to some garden owners, it is unnecessarily cruel to allow a prey animal to be chased by a predator, even if it is in the guise of a domestic dog, in this way.

Only last week a Great Dane and a pointer came very close to catching one animal that had already been chased once by another dog.

This shouldn’t be allowed to happen.

ROZ LEWIS

Edinburgh Drive,

Kidlington