Sugar Ray Robinson vs. Jake LaMotta, Spy Vs. Spy, Earth-199999’s champions versus Thanos; history, both factual and fictitious, has been defined by awe-inspiring battles for millennia, but no matchup quite encapsulates the fury between that of two overprotective mothers who found themselves toe-to-hoof on TikTok not too long ago.
In the video, the poster’s pint-sized poodle can be seen investigating the arrival of two visitors, a mother deer and her fawn, in his owner’s backyard. When he gets a bit too enthusiastic about introducing himself to the younger deer, however, Mama Deer goes from zero to 100, skipping right over the warning shot and going straight for the stomp, which the dog thankfully managed to dodge.
As would be the case with any dog mom, that wasn’t going to fly with @stlshugg, who wasted no time in ushering the dog behind her before stepping into the now-battlefield herself, making it very clear to Mama Deer what was going to happen if another hoof came anywhere near her fuzzy little son.
It’s at this point we begin to wonder exactly where Mama Deer’s intentions lay, as she immediately takes off at the first sign of trouble, seemingly forgetting to bring her child with her. Indeed, the young fawn seems to have been playing dead this whole time; a problem-solving instinct that I personally find very inspiring.
Now, should you let your dog play with wild animals, especially if the mother is present? No. But, is it suspicious that Mama Deer seemed overprotective right up until an actual threat reared its head, upon which it became an every-doe-for-herself situation? That’s the real question we should be asking.