Michigan lawmakers urge Whitmer to save rescued baby deer, coyote from DNR

Michigan Rep. Angela Rigas joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers Thursday in urging the governor. Gretchen Whitmer To prevent the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) from euthanizing two non-releasable animals, a disabled baby deer named Peanut and a wolf named Kota, currently housed at the Detroit Animal Welfare Group (DAWG), a no-kill sanctuary.

“These animals are not threats — they are survivors,” Rigas, a Republican, said in a news release. “Peanut and Kota were cared for by licensed professionals and were meant to serve as ambassadors for education. Their lives have now been taken over by arbitrary deadlines and bureaucratic techniques.

“Governor Whitmer must commute the death sentences for these animals.”

The lawmakers’ letter to Whitmer asks the Democrat to direct the DNR to allow permanent educational and sanctuary spaces for animals and to create a clearer, more humane process for appeals in similar cases. It also urges the state to drop the DAWG prosecution and issue permits for continuing care.

Under Michigan lawWildlife that cannot survive in the wild must either be transported to an approved educational facility or euthanized. DAWG, which has held a rehabilitation license since 2014, said it had submitted all the required paperwork, but was told it had passed the technical deadline. The shelter disputes this claim, saying the animals have been safely housed and inspected for years.

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Peanut was found collapsed and unable to stand before being rehabilitated by a Detroit animal welfare group. (Detroit Animal Welfare Group via Facebook)

The agency ordered the euthanasia because DAWG failed to meet a deadline to apply for an education permit to keep the animals in permanent captivity, the DNR said. Midwest I mentioned. The DNR declined to provide additional comment to Fox News Digital, citing ongoing litigation, but confirmed the matter is currently before an administrative law judge.

The case illustrates how state agencies can “exercise disproportionate power, often to the detriment of citizens and organizations acting in good faith,” the lawmakers warned in their letter.

Rigas cited the “lack of transparency, arbitrary deadlines and strict enforcement methods” and called for an immediate review of DNR procedures.

Rigas accused the DNR of “harassing” the DAWG and said it enforces the rules unevenly.

“They make these regulations on a case-by-case basis — there is no consistency and no fairness,” Rigas told Fox News Digital. “They are overfunded and understaffed, and this is a perfect example of how government overreach hurts good people who are just trying to do the right thing.”

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Peanut, who is now stable and walking, remains in care at a no-kill animal sanctuary. (Detroit Animal Welfare Group via Facebook)

Peanut is not blind, but has minor disabilities that make her unreleaseable, DAWG says, adding that Kota’s domesticated behavior makes both animals unfit for release.

DAWG reported that Peanut came to their facility for rehabilitation, and after completing treatment, he was transferred to a wildlife center as an education ambassador. Kota has been working with the nonprofit since 2018, and Peanut was seized after veterinarians deemed her unable to be released.

“Peanut is a gentle animal that depends on the staff Daily care“We have provided all required medical documentation and license updates, and we believe the decision to euthanize her was unnecessary and cruel,” the DAWG said in a statement.

In a Facebook post titled “Peanut’s Journey,” DAWG detailed the fawn’s recovery after she was found collapsed and unable to stand.

“She came to her side, very weak and unable to move,” the post read. “After warming her up and raising her glucose level with intravenous fluids and dextrose, she was treated as a neurological patient.”

Over the course of several weeks, staff documented the baby deer’s slow progress, as she raised her head, learned to stand, and then walk on her own. “Every day I become stronger and stronger,” the shelter wrote. “It was very small but kept up with the larger antelope.”

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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is under pressure to stop the DNR from seizing and euthanizing Peanut, a young fawn rescued by a nonprofit. (Jeff Robbins/AFP via Getty Images)

The post concludes: “She has struggled to get this far, so we carried her torch to find her a safe haven to live her life. She is so precious and deserving of every opportunity… However, the Michigan DNR has now ordered her euthanized for no reason at all. Please be her voice and help save her life.”

Former Michigan Republican Governor’s candidate Theodore Dixon also commented, telling Fox News Digital: “Whitmer and her team of enforcers are obsessed with malicious obedience to their unreasonable government regulations. It’s too bad Bennett didn’t cross the border illegally — she will get free health care for life.”

Rigas and her colleagues also pointed to the findings of the U.S. House Committee on Arming the Federal Government, which… Investigation What he calls overreach by state agencies.

In this context, they claim that DAWG’s position is part of a larger pattern of what Regas called “government overreach” and a disregard for “compassion and common sense.”

Rigas said she expects the Michigan House Oversight Committee will hold a hearing later this month to review the DNR’s authority.

“It’s not just about one deer,” she said. “It is about whether unelected bureaucrats will decide life or death without accountability.”

“The blood of Peanut and Cota will be on the governor’s hands if she does not act,” Rigas said. “It’s not just about wildlife, it’s about compassion, common sense and the proper role of government.”

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This case echoes the seizure and killing last fall P’nut the squirrel In New York State under Democratic government. Cathy HochulWhich sparked national outrage.

Whitmer’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.