Who knew?

So after posting my comments regarding the woman who adopted a deer and referring to her as a ‘crazy woman’ in my post it appears there’s lots of people that disagree with my analysis. I’m not saying that I feel nothing for the poor deer as it lived through the Bambi experience but found someone willing to take it in and raise it as her own. A Facebook page (what else) has been launched as of yesterday called ‘Save Bimbo The Deer’ to urge Environment Minister Barry Penner to issue Janet Schwartz (the crazy woman) a wildlife permit to legally keep Bimbo at home. I had a look at the facebook page and as of 2pm it has 147 members that want to see Ms. Schwartz (the crazy woman) keep a full grown deer in her home with pets, a husband and children (keeping in mind that the deer poops in the house on newspaper). That means that there’s 147 people in this city (that we know of) that actually think it’s a good idea and might do the same if given the chance and access to an unending supply of old newspapers. Does this scare you as much as it does me?

Believe me, I feel for the deer and am significantly more protective of animals than I am of human beings but where does one draw the line? If Ms. Schwartz (the crazy woman) lived during the earth’s Triassic period would she be apt to adopt a Tyrannosaurus Rex and allow it to poop on the carpets and sleep on the couch? Probably. And would someone start a Facebook page in support of Ms. Schwartz (the crazy woman) and her dinosaur? Damn straight.

Here’s the copy from today’s Province newspaper:

Animal lovers from around B.C. have pledged their support for Janet Schwartz and her pet deer, Bimbo — and criticized a ruling that says the doe can’t live in her home. A Facebook group called Save Bimbo the Deer was formed Thursday to urge Environment Minister Barry Penner to issue Schwartz a wildlife permit to legally keep Bimbo at home. Schwartz has already been denied a permit. “I just think the Ministry of the Environment is very wrong to insist that this lady release this animal into the wild,” said Corrine Koftinoff, the online group’s founder, and owner of the Finger Lake Wilderness Resort, outside Prince George. “It isn’t a wild animal any more. It’s domesticated.” “She’s only been doing the right thing,” said another supporter, Tamara Selmer from Whistler, who said she once owned a pet lamb. “Obviously, the deer would have died without her.” Schwartz, 67, who lives in a rural area near Ucluelet, found the fawn beside its dead mother five years ago and has kept it since. The deer eats human food, including potatoes and candy, and sleeps in a bed with Schwartz, who calls it “baby.”
Ministry wildlife biologist Kim Brunt told The Province on Monday that they would like to work with Schwartz to help rehabilitate Bimbo for the wild. He said Schwartz should remove domestic restraints, “so the animal could make its own mind up” how it wanted to live. Schwartz said she would be open to building a fenced-in area in her backyard, but vowed to put up a fight if Bimbo isn’t allowed to stay on her property. “I’ll take her and hide in the bush myself. I’ll live in the bush with her,” she said Wednesday.