Gilbert the fawn will be euthanized today if a sanctuary is not found.
Image Credit: FACEBOOK/ Kangaroo Creek Farm
July 20, 2019 - 9:06 AM
KELOWNA - At 5 p.m. Friday Gilbert, the injured fawn that had been cared for at Rose Valley Veterinary Hospital, was put to sleep.
It was the end of an uphill battled with layers of red tape, but Dr. Moshe Oz chose to risk his license to fight for the chance to save Gilbert's life. In the end, the effort wasn't enough.
"The past week has been a roller coaster, doing all we can to stabilize the young deer and provide him with the best care possible while trying to find him a suitable home," reads a post from the vet clinic. "Unfortunately, we have exhausted all possible avenues. Our hands were tied and Gilbert has crossed the rainbow bridge."
They thanked those who helped, like the Warren Peace Bunny Sanctuary which volunteered its time. They are also grateful to MLA Ben Stewart for working tirelessly to help them.
"Lastly, we would like to thank everyone for your tremendous support and outpour of love. Your efforts will not be in vain. Gilbert's legacy will be our driving force as we continue to work towards laws that support the humane rehabilitation of injured wildlife or, ideally, a licensed sanctuary here in the Okanagan," read the post.
Nobody is "more heartbroken than Dr. Oz and the staff at Rose Valley" and they ask that nobody call as they deal with the loss.
Gilbert was turned into Rose Valley Veterinary Hospital in West Kelowna four days ago with a severe injury to his leg. Dr. Oz said he would provide the ailing creature with the medical care it needed, but the fawn’s survival was not so simple as that.
Gilbert would have been an amputee, which means turning him into the wild was no longer an option. He was in need of a licenced sanctuary, and there’s nothing that fits the bill within the 200-kilometre radius required by the provincial government.
They would have needed to have a licence to have adult deer for the rest of its life, known how to do rehab and have veterinary care available.
Although there's nothing here now, it may be different in the future.
Kangaroo Creek Farm does not have such a license and fawns that have been taken to them in the past have been transferred to Critter Care in Vancouver for rehabilitation and release.
In the future, however, that may change.
“We will look into getting a wildlife license in the future,” reads the post. “Our new location will provide ample room for suitable terrain.”
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