A Laurentian couple's fight to keep their not so usual family pet may have a happy ending after all.
For the past four years Brigitte Thomas and Yves Martel have been caring for May, a deer that was found abandoned on the side of the road after her mother was killed by a car. The plan was to nurse the fawn until she was old enough to go out on her own, but the couple feared she would not be able to survive in the wild on her own.
Not wanting any harm to come to their newest family member, Thomas and Martel let May move in. Since then the doe has enjoyed her time on the couple's 82 acre wooded property in Wentworth-Nord.
On Monday, agents with Quebec's Ministry of Wildlife seized the deer, acting on an anonymous complaint.
"It's really hard for us because she already lost a mother, and now she lost us" Thomas told CTV Montreal.
While it is illegal in Quebec to keep wild animals as pets, it is possible to apply for a permit to do so.
"We know we're not supposed to have deer, but we didn't know we could ask for a permit" Thomas said.
For now, May is being cared for at a sanctuary while officials decide what is best for her future. On its Facebook page, the Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks said that May will not be euthanized and the Ministry will ensure her well being until a decision can be made.
The Ministry said Thomas and Martel can still apply for a permit to bring May home.