Nearly two years ago Jeff and Jennifer Counceller of Indiana, found a badly injured fawn. According to the Counceller’s, the doe had open wounds along her back side and was unable to stand. They made the decision to rescue the doe and nurse her back to health. Their plan was to treat her and raise her safely into adulthood when she could be on her own in the wild. Their decision could now cost them jail time up to 60 days and a fine of $2,000.
After learning of Little Orphan Dani, an Indiana Dep’t of Natural Resources conservation officer approached the couple at their residence and announced the state wanted Little Orphan Dani to be culled. After providing TLC for the doe for an extended period of time, the couple was devastated upon hearing the news. On the day the state had planned her execution, suddenly Little Orphan Dani escaped her fenced-in yard and hasn’t been seen since that time. She must have found her way into the woods and found herself a new family. Keeping fingers crossed!
Little Orphan Dani may have had some help from the 80 yr. old father of Jennifer, according to some unsubstantiated reports. Others have suggested it was the couple themsleves who released Dani while others think it was a good samaritan. However you perceive the sudden freedom, the irony is uncanny. Don’t you think?
Why did the state feel it was necessary to remove and kill a deer that I presume was well- taken care of by a couple with nothing but good intentions? This isn’t the first time when the Game Commission has removed wildlife from someone who has nursed a wild animal back to health. But, do they go too far?
Interactions between humans and wildlife are regulated by state and federal agencies. Many states will only permit wildlife rehabilitators to house and care for injured wildllife. Should this include a house finch?
Lancaster, PA, 2010, the Game Commission seized a house finch from a woman who found it after it had fallen from its nest in her yard. She, too, nursed the bird named Stormy Girl, back to health.
The Game Commission discovered the story after a reporter interviewed the woman because this bird helped her through some physical hardships. That story caused the Game Commission and three police officers to pay her a visit with a search warrant and to seize the bird after having her for four years. She was told she wasn’t allowed to have this bird because she isn’t a licensed wildlife rehabilitator She was also breaking the law because they are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty (1918). Presumably, Stormy Girl was taken to a rehabilitator where it is said she is alive. I can’t find any truth to back up that statement or to say it isn’t true either. The woman was told she could visit the bird but she has never been told where the bird is.
The question remains- does the Game Commission or any agency involved with wildlife have the right to treat people as if they are cold-hearted criminals who are doing right by animals and showing compassion by trying to restore their health?
I’ve personally have heard too many stories where people have tried to help wildlife and have been told the wild animal they possess will be killed by the Game Commission because it would no longer be safe to place it into its natural habitat or the animal would now be considered dangerous.
While I understand the need for some wildlife to be turned over to a rehabilitator, I don’t understand why some wild animals have to be killed. I certainly don’t understand why a house finch had to be seized after being with this woman for four years. A house finch. A small bird that the woman hand-fed. How is this bird a danger to the woman or to anyone?
Aren’t these agencies theoritically here to help wildlife rather than killing them?
The Councellers are facing a trial date this March for possession of a deer, a misdemeanor charge. Do you support this couple or the agency that wanted to kill it?
Let’s hear your thoughts.
Nothing but garbage. that’s all I have to say.
you all are wrong they should have just shot it and ate it….case closed
Hi! I have a similar story and also live in PA where Stormygirl and this doe lived. I had a disabled European Starling that I had raised from a baby with his eyes still shut to a healthy 1 year old. The GC came in and took him away and like in the Stormygirl’s story, said I could know updates and have pictures of the GC dropping off Wiggles. He lied.
I have nothing, no news about him, except that he is recovering and when he is recovered he will be released. Then a few weeks after that they said that I will not get Wiggles back and that he will be used to socialize other birds. OK, there are a few problems with that. Wiggles is imprinted/heavily bonded to me. He doesn’t even know he’s a bird AND he’s disabled. It’s a flock mentality that any ill or disabled bird will slow the flock down so they have to get rid of the slow bird somehow. This happens even in parrots and chickens.
Wiggles can’t fly, he has a brain injury that probably happened when he fell from his nest and he acts like he had a little bird stroke. What they did to him and me…it’s just not right. Threats of handcuffing me, searching my home when I wasn’t home – only my 19 year old autistic son, acting like I was a hardened criminal when all I did was safe the life of a tiny bird who is not federally protected. When I brought Wiggles home I checked the laws in PA. There’s no laws pertaining to them, except that you can’t shoot them during deer season. You can poison them, trap them, move them, shoot them, kill them anyway you want, but you apparently cannot have 1 in your home.
Some say he’s wildlife. He’s not. Starlings are non native, can learn how to mimic anything, and talk in context. They are like parrots in so many ways. They are so smart and so sweet! I miss my baby!!!