Do not feed it. Call Fawn Rescue at once.

Fawn Rescue specializes in the care of fawns. Therefore we are experts in understanding this species and their needs. We never destroy a fawn, no matter how tame or ill. We work with it. We take the fawn to a vet, we strive to make it well, and then place it among other fawns. It is raised with its own species, which allows it to develop its natural, wild instincts. We teach it survival skills and to recognize its natural foods. We release it, with its companions, back into the wild.

There are so many reasons that a fawn, or any wild creature, should not be raised alone or as part of a human family. Deer are genetically programmed to be wild. They do not make good pets. By being raised as a pet they do not know they are deer. To make a pet of any wild animal is to give it a death sentence. They quickly become unruly, unmanageable and dangerous as they mature. They have been known to attack humans during mating season and are shot.

They will demand their freedom. If they escape, or are put out alone, they are unable to cope in the wild. They must compete with the resident herd and will be driven away from the area. So often they die of stress even before they die of starvation. To put a lone fawn out into unfamiliar territory, without the survival skills they learn when being raised with their own species, will lead to an early death after release, due to human, domestic, or natural predators.

In order for their bones and body to grow strong, powerful and agile enough to survive in the wild, a fawn must be fed an especially rich formula that provides the complete nutrition they require for proper growth. Goat milk, baby formula, soymilk, food that can be purchased at a feed store, or human food cannot provide that nourishment. Although the deer may visually appear to be healthy, internally it is not. Each wild animal species requires a different diet for proper development.

Wild animals do not belong to us. The law against raising any wild animal without a permit was not written to deprive humans of having them as pets. The law is there to keep these naturally wild animals wild.

Your decision to attempt to keep it, or to call us for help, will mean life or death for this wild fawn. Please do not deprive it of its wildness, which is why humans are so strongly attracted to wildlife in the first place. Think how comforting it would be for this fawn to curl up with other fawns tonight and to eat the natural food it will find in the wild. Please love it enough to let it go while there is still time for it to grow up to be the deer it was born to be. We will not report you.

We are here to help. Please call Fawn Rescue at (707) 931-4550.