Penticton animal advocate Theresa Nolet wants to see a policy change in how the B.C. Conservation Service and the RCMP handle wounded wildlife both agencies refused to euthanize the wounded deer pictured in this contributed photo.

Image Credit: Contributed/Theresa Nolet

PENTICTON - A Penticton animal advocate believes a change in policy is necessary when it comes to police and conservation officers dealing with injured wildlife.

Theresa Nolet was driving along Highway 97 near the intersection of Duncan Avenue and the Channel Parkway in Penticton on June 23 when she saw a wounded deer with a fawn trying to make their way along the highway shoulder. The deer's leg was broken.

The B.C. Conservation Service was called and a conservation officer advised to leave the animals alone.

Nolet says when a RCMP officer arrived she was told the deer would not be put down unless an animal organization was available to take the fawn.

Nolet told the officer she was a board member of AlleyCATS Alliance, a support group for feral and orphaned cats, as well as operator of a horse rescue service.

“I told him I had milk replacer at home and room to keep the fawn overnight," she says. "I would be willing to drive the fawn wherever necessary to get it into a rehab centre, but the officer just responded he wasn’t going to argue with me and that was the end of it."

Nolet feels policy when dealing with wounded wildlife needs to change, not only in Penticton but in the rest of the province as well. She’s suggesting a partnership with a local Indian band where two or three members could be called to harvest the animal after it was humanely dispatched by a RCMP or conservation officer.

“This is happening in the city, it’s not happening in northern Ontario or northern B.C. Why do we have to be exposed to that pain and suffering when it’s a very simple solution?"

She says there is a need to change policy especially in cases like this one, knowing the mother deer was likely going to suffer and die, as would the fawn.

Nolet plans to talk to MLA Dan Ashton and MP Dan Albas about the matter.

She also has plans to start an online petition to solicit support for a change in policy.

Calls to the RCMP and the Ministry of Environment have not been immediately returned.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

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