Sandy Pratt had just left home in the Renfrewshire village of Kilbarchan where he lives for his daily drive into Glasgow when he found the country road blocked by what appeared to be two animals fighting.
On closer inspection it turned out that a dog was inflicting a savage attack on a young deer, which are common in the area due to an abundance of woodland.
Sandy, who is 44 and works for Glasgow City Council’s arms-length construction company City Building, takes up the story: “I saw what I thought was two dogs fighting, then I saw the antlers and realised it was a deer being attacked. This was in the middle of the street and I stopped the van or else I would have hit them.
“Instinct kicked in and I felt I had to do something but by the time I got out the deer had managed to escape into the bushes with the dog in pursuit and I ended up chasing them through the forest and across a burn. I had to go and move the van during all this as it was blocking the road.
“The dog wasn’t giving up easily and when it pinned the deer to the ground I was convinced it was going to kill it. Eventually I managed to get the dog off, but the deer was very frightened by this stage so I wrapped it in a dust sheet and drove it to Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue in Beith, North Ayrshire.”
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When it arrived at Hessilhead, a registered charity which cares for injured and orphaned wildlife in Scotland, the deer was in shock, heavily concussed and suffering from several injuries.
It was given medication and after a couple of days’ rest, was deemed fit enough to return to the wild. The deer, reckoned to be two or three years old, was released in Kilbarchan near the scene of the attack, with Sandy in attendance.
David O’Reilly, a Rehabilitator and Staff Supervisor at Hessilhead, said: “Judging by the deer’s condition when it arrived, it’s fair to say that if Sandy hadn’t intervened it would have died. He definitely did the right thing by helping an animal that was clearly in danger, but not many people would have gone to the lengths he did.”
Sandy, who also does a volunteer radio show in Glasgow every weekend, describes himself as an animal lover and said he often goes for a walk in the countryside around Kilbarchan to take in the scenery and wildlife.
Despite this, he has never found himself chasing an animal in the area before, and the episode required one of history’s more elaborate excuses for being late.
Sandy said: “The Rescue Centre have done a fantastic job in caring for the deer and it made a very quick recovery. I was delighted to be there to see it released back into the wild.
“We’ve had a good laugh about this in work since it happened. I’ve been called all sorts – Indiana Jones, Steve Irwin, the Deer Hunter – by my workmates. When I explained to my boss why I was going to be late he said my excuse deserved 10 out of 10 for originality, but on a serious note City Building have been very supportive.”
City Building director of operations Graham Paterson commented: “This is one of the most unusual excuses I’ve ever heard for someone being late! Most people say they got a flat tyre or the alarm clock wasn’t working, but Sandy has raised the bar with this one.
“Seriously though, Sandy is a real character and a valued and long-serving employee. He showed a lot of determination in this situation, and compassion for a fellow living creature. We are all delighted that the deer has made a good recovery, although Sandy will need an even better excuse next time he is running late.”
(GK)
