From Oregon this morning, a family is fighting with everything they have to get their two pet deer, Snowball and Bucky, returned to them after they were removed by wildlife officers from their home on Wednesday. In Oregon, it is permissible to keep deer "in captivity", but you need a permit, and all 16 of the ones that can be issued have been claimed. In addition, the deers need to be "legally acquired", and Snowball has a different story.While driving the kids to school one morning, Jim Filipetti saw an injured doe on the side of the road. After taking her to the vet, and caring for her inside the house for a year, she became a part of the family and even learned from Tasha, a cocker spaniel, how to communicate by pawing her hoof at family members when she wanted attention. Bucky is Snowball's yearling buck, conceived after she moved into an enclosed area of the yard and met Mr. Magoo, a blind buck who lived a short time with the family until he died.
Oregon's Fish and Wildlife department is most concerned about Bucky, who can become aggressive during the Fall mating season, and could hurt people with his hooves or horns. The story also recounts how wildlife officials needed to apprehend a black bear who had lived with a family for two years as a cub, eating pizza, taking showers, and sleeping with them in their beds.
So this is really tough. We have a family that loves the animals they've brought into their home and have cared for as babies. It's agreed that Snowball wouldn't have lived had Jim not scooped her up that morning from the side of the road. If it's determined by the wildlife division that she can't be put back into the wild, she could be euthanized. There's more hope for Bucky being returned to the wild, and maybe that's best for him and the family's safety overall. My hope is that some middle ground can be found for Snowball though. She seems much less dangerous than a buck or black bear.
And yes, we should take a lesson from this. Wild animals are, well, wild, and we should do everything we can as animal lovers to ensure they stay that way. It's the safest thing for them, and for us. The circle of life and all that. It doesn't make it easier for a family that has already brought a wild animal into their hearts, but hopefully it will help them make a different decision in the future.
2 comments:
Hi, Connie: I wanted to share a comment made by ODFW director Roy Elicker today in a press conference.
STATEMENT BY ODFW DIRECTOR ROY ELICKER
I want to reiterate that these deer will not be euthanized. The deer are in good condition, under the care of our wildlife vet. Tests have been done on the deer to determine if there are any diseases or other health issues. Those results will be available sometime next week. In the meantime, the deer are being well taken care of and we looking at all options. Euthanasia is not one of those options.
We do understand the feelings of the family and the public. Caring for wildlife is at the heart of everything we do. However, we have larger responsibility and have to ensure that our decision is in the best interest of all wildlife.
Part of that responsibility involves public safety. The buck in this case has reached sexual maturity and is aggressive and poses a potential danger to the family and the public. We talked to the family about this and thought we had worked out a compromise. Unfortunately, the agreement didn’t happen and OSP enforced the law and the animals were placed in our care.
The law is clear. It is illegal to hold captive wild animals. The law was put in place to protect the health and safety of wildlife and the public. We are following the law.
Within the limits of the law, we are looking at options that have the best interest of these two deer and all wildlife.
This is great news, and I agree with the reasonable and thoughtful approach Mr. Elicker is taking. Thanks for sharing this!
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