Editor's note: Lori Paul is a Millard Canyon resident, active with the Altadena Crest Trail Restoration Working Group, and a long-time trails advocate and defender. She recently sent out an email about the July 2 incident where a deer had to be put down because of wounds suffered in an encounter with an unleashed dog at the Millard Canyon campground. She followed that up with an email to us when we asked to reprint it, elaborating on the problem of dogs in the canyons and at Hahamongna Watershed Park. We’ve incorporated both emails in the following article.
by Lori Paul
A local hiker who walks her uncontrolled dogs off-leash... in spite of repeated admonitions not to do so... caused the death of a possibly pregnant doe deer up in Millard Canyon this week. The incident occurred near the campground in the area below the parking lot.
The hiker's large male dog attacked a resident doe, deeply lacerating her neck and causing other injuries, including what appeared to be a broken leg. California Depatmen. of Fish & Wildlife officers were called to assist the incapacitated and suffering doe. They determined that she could not survive the severe injuries and shot her. This was an incredibly sad and preventable death.
This tragedy is what results when poorly trained dogs are allowed to run off-leash and out of restraint by their owners. This same hiker's dog ran off on another occasion, accosted a rattlesnake, and got struck. It is unknown if the snake survived injuries inflicted by the dog.
Dogs gone wild
A few years ago, I noticed a male malamute running, without his owner in sight, on the Gabrielino Trail. The malamute ran past me and right up to a well-behaved Siberian Husky on leash... then attacked the other dog! The owner of the Siberian was in a panic, pulling back his dog, blood everywhere. I got off my bike, ran over, grabbed the malamute by his collar and we separated the two dogs. Both had bad bites on their faces and paws.
I marched the now passive malamute over into the nearby creek to cool him off and rinse his wounds. Fortunately, a passing USFS Ranger in a truck stopped and took custody of the malamute. I then rendered first aid to the badly bitten husky.
Both dogs survived... this time. If the victim had been a small dog instead of a sturdy husky, the outcome might've been different. The ranger later told me that he had encountered the malamute's owner, carrying the dog's leash, one quarter mile. down the trail from the incident. The owner was cited by the USFS officer.
On May 21, I watched helplessly as a large male greyhound killed a baby squirrel. He was one of two greyhounds accompanying two ladies in Hahamongna Watershed Park. The unrestrained, excitable male greyhound ran down the trail and into the bushes where he grabbed the tiny ground squirrel by the head, shook it violently, then dropped his "toy" and returned to the two women I'd been conversing with about the dogs! All this happened in a few seconds, while they ineffectually hollered at the dog to "Stop! Come back here! No No NO!" The greyhound simply ignored them. By the time I reached the baby squirrel, it had died. Unfortunately, the two hikers had the attitude "Oh well, That's just what dogs do..."
No, that is what untrained, uncontrolled dogs do. Wild predators eat what they kill. Dogs kill for fun. The greyhound just left the little squirrel laying in the dirt.
