Heartbreaking Deer Tale, Man's Message: 'All Life Is Precious"

EAST HAMPTON, NY — A local wildlife advocate is sharing a deer's heartbreaking story in the hopes of raising awareness and compassion.

East Hampton's Dell Cullum, who runs Hampton Wildlife, a wildlife removal service, has dedicated his life to helping creatures in need of nurturing.

Three nights ago, Cullum said he was called to respond to a location in East Hampton where a deer was being chased down by four "unleashed and unattended dogs" who "viciously attacked" the yearling buck.

He called Lisa Jae Eggert, who helps with animal rescue, and the pair met at the scene, he said.

"The poor deer had collapsed in a thick brush area and we had to cut away vegetation to even get to him. I did not have my tranquilizer gun with me so, I taped a loaded syringe to the end of my catch pole and after slowly sneaking it through the brush, I managed to hit my target on the first try," Cullum said.

The pair got the deer out and loaded him onto Cullum's truck.

Because the vet was closed, Cullum brought the deer home, where he and Eggert cleaned its wounds and sprayed them with an antibacterial medication.

"The deer had taken quite a beating but its legs, back and hips seemed to not be broken," Cullum said.

The dogs, he added, had pulled hair off the deers back and also bitten its neck — the main concern was the deer's neck, because it was impossible to determine how bad the injury was.

"We propped him up to a sitting position, and I checked on him every hour up until midnight. I didn't expect a good outcome, but we made the animal very comfortable and we hoped for the best," Cullum said.

The next morning, the deer rallied, standing and walking around the backyard. Although its neck was injured, it was lifting its head up and down normally and drinking water.

"I sat back and observed the rest of the day. I was very pleased. I set up a live night camera and watched him until I fell asleep that evening," he said.

Monday morning when he went to check the deer was gone and he couldn't find it on the property.

Then Cullum said he got a call that the deer had tripped at another spot, falling over a pile of deer fencing, and landing on its head, breaking its neck.

"Just like that, it was over," Cullum wrote.

But in that moment, Cullum saw an individual, who had previously not been a "huge fan of our deer" crying when the deer died, weeping at the animal's demise, something that touched his heart.

"Moral of the morning — all life is precious, and sometimes when we forget this, our conscience reminds us. When it comes to our wildlife, particularly our deer, please be more understanding, compassionate and caring," he wrote.

Photo of the deer, when first found alive, by Dell Cullum.