A MAJOR animal charity has been accused of lacking compassion after the dramatic rescue of a deer.
When a young stag leapt ten feet into the icy waters at East Mill in Morpeth to escape an attacking dog, residents rushed to its aid.
The terrified animal was trapped in the mill race for around 90 minutes on Saturday afternoon while frantic effor
ts were made to hoist it to safety.
But just when the deer had been hauled onto the bank, an RSPCA inspector arrived and said it should be destroyed.
The deer had no broken bones or major injuries, but it was only due to experts from The Sanctuary Wildlife Care Centre in Ulgham, that the creature was spared.
Sadly the deer died of shock at the centre on Tuesday, but staff insist the rescue was worthwhile.
And residents involved in the incident are angry at the RSPCA's approach.
Glynis Tindale, who provided wellies, waders, ladders and a tarpaulin for the rescuers, said: "I know the RSPCA has its policies, but this just seemed to lack any kind of compassion at all. We were just all disgusted at it.
"People had been in the water all that time trying to get the deer out. Everybody had thrown their coats on it and everything to help and then the RSPCA inspector comes along and just wants to shoot it. It was awful.
"The deer only had a superficial wound, but it was bound to be upset. That wasn't the issue. There was just no compassion whatsoever for the people who helped or the deer.
"There was a chance it would survive and unfortunately it has died now, but at least it had a couple of days where it was calm and warm instead of somebody putting a bullet behind its ear."
The Sanctuary owners Kim Olson and her husband Allan Pettersson had been out with relatives in Newcastle when they got a call from Police that a deer was trapped.
They rushed to the scene and Allan waded into the water with residents to lift the animal to safety.
After examining the deer, the couple found there were no serious injuries so they were as dismayed as residents at the RSPCA suggestion.
Mrs Olson said: "The inspector simply wanted to euthanase it there and then, but it didn't have any broken limbs or anything like that, which was confirmed by our vet.
"If it had a broken leg it should have been killed immediately, but it didn't. Animals can come round from shock so it could have gone either way. It was absolutely worth trying to save it.
"We are not sentimental. We have worked with animals for a long time and you can't be sentimental, but the deer didn't have any injuries."
The RSPCA refused to transport the animal to The Sanctuary so it was left to Mr Pettersson to take it in his car.
