A Michigan family (whose identify remains confidential) have been raising a pet deer for the past five years in their home. The family hit her mother with their car which lead to her birth. The deer, Lilly, has since been living with their family, snuggling with the cat on the couch and playing in the yard with dog. This family was all that Lilly had ever known, and was completely taken care of. None of the neighbors had a problem with Lilly's living situations and Lily had recovered from the accident beautifully, growing into a healthy happy deer.
After a report was called in from a neighbors friend, the state government attempted to take Lilly away from her family in 2012. Stating the law that claims: if a baby deer is found or hit because of a car accident the person is not allowed to take the fawn. Michigan law states that a person can only have a wildlife animal if they are licensed rehabilitators. Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources threatened to take Lilly from her family, therefore began a large uproar on the internet. A change.org petition gathered 16,004 signatures, and an Indiegogo petition that vegan to raise money for her owners and raised nearly $2,500.There was also a Facebook page that was created to create awareness and have a place for supporters to voice their opinions.
Lilly's owners hired an attorney to fight against her removal from their home. The government stated that she would be removed and rehabilitated to return to the wild, put into a zoo, or she would be put down. Their argument was that Lilly could not defend herself in the wild, and they would provide a loving home for the animal. The offer was that they would obtain a permit so that Lilly can officially stay in their home legally. This case was an exception, and a very rare one. A couple months after they began the lawsuit, the family won the rights to keep Lilly in their home.
“Lilly’s caretakers have applied for an Exhibition Class Permit and they will continue to provide Lilly with the love, care, and environment she needs to thrive,” the family lawyer, Val Washington said.
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