Last week, British Divers Marine Life Rescue Medics responded to another incident where a young seal had been attacked by dogs.
The pup, likely to have been born around June this year, had been sleeping quietly on a beach in Suffolk. One of our volunteer Marine Mammal Medics had already spent several hours that day monitoring him from a distance while he rested amongst the rocks. Many members of the public passed by, keeping their distance and allowing the pup to sleep undisturbed with plenty of positive interactions with our volunteer.
As our Medic was leaving the beach, two dogs ran directly at the seal pup and attacked without warning. The Medic immediately ran back to intervene and, with help from a member of the public, the dogs were pulled away and the injured pup was secured.
The seal had sustained multiple bite wounds, so was uplifted and taken to a nearby veterinary clinic for assessment and treatment. His wounds were cleaned and treated, and pain relief was administered before he was transferred to one of our triage units for further care and stabilisation. This includes around-the-clock feeding with ‘fish soup’ and continuing medication to help the pup begin to recover.
Thankfully, the pup responded well to treatment and was strong enough to be transferred to RSPCA East Winch for rehabilitation this week.
The dogs’ owner was understandably upset and had simply not known that the seal pup was resting nearby. Dogs do not need to be aggressive or badly behaved to react instinctively when they encounter wildlife, and seals can be difficult to spot from a distance.
Seal welfare organisations, including BDMLR, recommend keeping dogs on leads around the coast, even when wildlife is not visible. Dog owners can arrange veterinary treatment if their pet is injured, while the cost of treating injured seals is covered by organisations such as BDMLR. Small actions to keep dogs under control helps protect both wildlife and other pets from potentially serious injury.
Emergency veterinary treatment, transport and ongoing care all come at a cost, and BDMLR relies on public donations to help injured seals like this pup. If you would like to support our rescue work and help us be there for the next animal in need, please consider making a donation. Thank you.