‘I gotta help her.’ Officers help dying deer deliver twins. See the adorable fawns
What started as a typical day for animal control officer Lisa Henderson quickly turned into a unique moment.
“I have helped with dogs and cats, but never anything like a deer,” Henderson told McClatchy News.
Henderson has been an animal control officer with the Warren County Sheriff’s Office in Kentucky for five years. She says the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 22, the office received a call about a deer in distress in Bowling Green.
“The man that called said the deer had been laying in his yard for two days and not moving. So, I thought it was gonna have been hit by a car, you know, because that happens so frequently,” Henderson said.
However, once she arrived, she realized the deer wasn’t injured, but instead in labor.
“I saw the little hooves sticking out and so, I thought, ‘I gotta help her.’ You know, because she’s not able to deliver these babies on her own,” Henderson said.
Henderson acted fast and was able to safely deliver a baby fawn. Shortly after, other officers arrived on scene and assisted with the delivery of its twin, WBKO reported.
“The baby fawns were tended to and assisted with bottles of milk while momma was assessed and helped to drink water via a syringe,” a Facebook post from the Warren County Sheriff’s Office reads.
Henderson told McClatchy News the mother deer and baby fawns were taken to a nearby rehab facility to be cared for. Although the mother deer was initially showing improvements, Henderson said she has since passed away.
“She was severely dehydrated,” Henderson said. “She could have passed away and the babies would’ve passed away with her if that man had not called.”
Henderson said the twin fawns are doing well and are being bottle fed and cared for. She said she plans to visit and keep up with their progress.
This story was originally published August 24, 2023 at 10:06 AM with the headline "‘I gotta help her.’ Officers help dying deer deliver twins. See the adorable fawns."
