Brooklyn officials survey residents after reports of aggressive deer

BROOKLYN , Ohio (WJW) – Two instances where deer attacked people over the summer have Brooklyn city officials reacting.

The city released a survey , open through Oct. 31, to try and track the deer population in town to see if there is cause to take any action.

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Neighbors told FOX 8 News they've seen tons of deer around their yards.

In both instances where there was an attack, a dog was involved and reports claimed a doe was looking to protect her fawn.

Earl Bloam was one of the victims. His dog Molly was lying in their lawn when he heard her start yelping. He then saw the deer.

"I apparently must've charged the deer because the next thing I remember is I was waking up on my back laying on the grass — thank goodness it wasn't on the concrete — in pain and Molly was on top of me, and the deer was about 20 feet away looking at me like, 'You want some more?'" Bloam said.

He suffered bruises to his head and arm and had a fractured rib. They also discovered that Molly had two cracked ribs. He's thankful they're both OK, but he did reach out to the mayor about the issue.

Bloam believes city leaders are taking the right approach.

"I love animals, and I don't want to see anything happen to them. But to me, my first concern is I would hate to see a deer attack a child," he said. "It is an issue, and it can be a problem, and I believe the citizens have to come first."

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The animal control officer for Brooklyn and Parma Heights told FOX 8 News that the two attacks are not the norm.

"Pointedly, in my 10 years of animal control, I have never heard, prior to this, of a physical altercation between a doe and a human. The intention of this is definitely not to initiate any panic. These instances are incredibly rare," Miranda Braude said.

She doesn't want people to panic if they see a deer showing signs of aggression. The suggestion is to clap and shout at the deer to scare it away. She also suggests being vigilant with dogs and keeping them on a leash, especially during the fawning season from May to July.

Additionally, mating season is from October to December. Braude said people should use caution on the roads with more deer around.