A WOMAN rescued a newborn fawn that was 'close to death' from the side of the road. 

Sarah Wilkinson has a farm in Pamphill in Wimborne Minster and she helped save the 'tiny' deer. 

She said: "A stranger knocked on my door and told us there was a baby deer on the side of the road.

"She led us to where it was, and it was, and it didn't look very well.

"It was spread out on the floor, and at first, I thought it was dead because it looked so tiny. But it was breathing and moving a little.

"We wrapped it in a blanket and brought it up to the house; it was so small it still had its umbilical cord wrapped around it."

Sarah managed to contact the RSPCA, which said it would come within half an hour to collect the fawn.

"When the RSPCA arrived, they were checking to see if the deer had any broken bones. They said they couldn't see any," Sarah added.

"What we think was most likely is that its mother was hit by a car, and the baby was just left like an orphan on the side of the road and that it was dehydrated or in shock over what happened."

The RSPCA took the fawn to the vets to get it properly checked over and continue to nurse it back to health.

Sarah said it is a common occurrence to see deer being hit by cars in Pamphill.

She said: "The banks are pretty high, and the grass is left to grow long, which is brilliant. But it also means that animals step into the road because they can't see, and people can't see them until the last minute.

"But it is a real shame that when people hit animals, they don't check or even report it.

"If this kind lady hadn't come and told me about it, then this little deer could've died for no fault of its own."