Posted on 09/15/2006 9:48:58 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
Bambi will be able to live out her life with all the comforts she has come to enjoy on the farm of Mike and Ilene Smith outside of Columbus.
A nearly two-year legal battle between the Smiths and the DNR came to an end Wednesday when Dane County Circuit Judge John Albert approved a negotiated settlement that will allow the white-tail deer to stay at the Smith farm, continue to live in an orchard and to play with the Smiths and their grandkids.
Bambi, her twin, and probably her mother were hit by a car in 2003. Bambi and her twin were seriously injured and the mother likely killed. The two fawns, who also appeared to have had a run-in with coyotes, were found by neighbors who brought the two badly injured deer to the Smith farm. One of the young fawns died but Bambi - named by the Smith grandchildren - survived and flourished under the Smiths' care.
For months the Smiths had to carry Bambi around the farm because she was unable to walk. By the time she was put in the fenced in orchard, with a sheep named Curly, she had become part of the family, the Smiths said.
But then a dispute broke out with the DNR over whether the Smiths could keep the deer. The agency at first told the Smiths they could keep the deer if they built a fence to DNR specifications and the Smiths did that. But when they called the DNR to say the fence was up and ready for inspection, the agency changed its decision and said the Smiths could not raise the deer. Later, in December of 2004, the DNR told the Smiths it would pick up Bambi in three days and have her killed. The Smith's responded by filing a lawsuit.
Bambi was spared execution in an early ruling by Albert and as the suit went forward the two sides began negotiations to settle the matter more amicably.
"It is the purpose and intent of this settlement stipulation to provide for the best interest of the deer in living out the balance of its lifetime in peace and tranquility at the Smiths' residence," says the document signed by the judge and lawyers for the Smiths and the Department of Justice, which represented the DNR.
The settlement also details the type of fence the Smiths must have in place to guarantee Bambi will not get out, or more important to the DNR, not have any contact with other wild animals. The agency expressed concerns about Bambi contracting chronic wasting disease, although none has been reported in the Columbus area.
The agreement also calls for the Smiths to have Bambi checked twice a year by a veterinarian, and allows the DNR to test the deer when it dies.
Meanwhile, Albert keeps jurisdiction of the case and will settle any disputes if they arise.
What's the DNR?
Minus the backstrap.
DNR = Department of Natural Resources. They manage the wildlife in your state, so they have the final say on whether you can keep any wild critters you find and raise. Every state has one. I think? *Scratches Head*
"Minus the backstrap."
LOL! I have ONE tenderloin left from last season. I will eat it the day we start butchering this fall's harvest. What a delicacy. :)
My in-laws raised an abandoned fawn way back when. They raised him in the barn with the cows. His name was "Rudy" and he was the family pet. The local DNR guy got wind of it and came to check things out. Rudy saw him coming, and ran out into the field and started acting like a "regular deer" until the guy left, LOL!
When Rudy was old enough to want a doe, he packed up his meager belongings and stuck out on his own to find one. ;)
Your story is absolutely wonderful! I myself have a pet deer. I purchased her from a deer farm in northern Ohio. She is a white-tailed deer and she was a week old when we bought her. She is SOOOO sweet and lovable. She is four months old now and SPOILED! In fact, as I try to type this she is trying to lick the key board! Yes, she stays indoors and she even jumps on our sofa and lays down, like she is doing now! We own 6 acres and it is full of deer! We have a fenced off area for her and she loves to run and play outside! However, after about 20 minutes she wants to come back inside. I try to keep her outside so she can get some sun and graze. I love knowing that there are some wonderful and caring people out there that truely love animals! It makes me sick to see the deer that have been hit by cars or attacked by dogs, coyotes, etc. These animals are so beautiful and peaceful. I love them so much! This is an experience I will treasure for the rest of my life!
I wish you and your "Bambi" a life full of love and happiness! Gail
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