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State officials want to confiscate a deer living at a Lawrenceville farm

Rudolph and Cammy
Rudolph the white-tailed deer with Lawrenceville resident Cammy Lowe.

Cammy Lowe was working in the fields at her 30-acre farm on Van Kirk Road on the last day of May 2019 when she looked up and saw a fawn emerge from the woods. The animal wobbled towards her and was eager to be petted. Lowe wondered where the baby’s mom was, so she followed the path the fawn had taken back into the woods, only to discover a dead mother deer.

Rudolph baby
Rudolph after he first came to Lowe’s farm.

She called the Mercer County Wildlife Center, expecting that someone would come over and pick up the fawn. But she said she was told the county would not pick the baby up, and that she should leave the fawn where she found it and “just let nature take its course.”

“I knew the baby wouldn’t survive if I did that,” Lowe says. “So I brought him into my barn and began taking care of him, bottle feeding him every three hours day and night for the next two months until he could eat regular food.”

Nephew feeds Rudolph
One of Lowe’s nephews feeds baby Rudolph.

Deer can imprint quickly on humans if domesticated. Lowe and the fawn developed a close bond, and the deer, which she named Rudolph or “Rudy” for short, became part of a farm family that includes horses, sheep, pigs, goats, and alpaca.

“Rudy likes to cuddle with me and nuzzle me every day,” Lowe says. “He’s always been very gentle and sweet. He loves carrots and strawberries.”

A few weeks ago, Lowe was shocked when a representative from the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife showed up at her farm, TLC Country Stables, and told her the state would be confiscating Rudy. Someone had reported her for housing the deer.

On July 25, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Police Officer Andrew Riviello issued a constructive seizure notice to Lowe, which she refused to sign, informing her that Rudolph would be seized as evidence. The notice ordered her to care for the deer until transportation and rehabilitation could be arranged and to not release or rehome the deer herself.

The following day, Lowe registered Rudolph as an emotional support animal because she says he helps calm her. She then applied to the Wildlife Permits Unit for permission to keep Rudolph. Her petition was denied on Aug. 6.

Rudolph standing
Rudolph standing in a barn stall at the farm.

Under state law, deer can’t be kept as pets. White-tailed deer are considered a potentially dangerous species because of Chronic Wasting Disease, a fatal neurological illness that can occur in North American deer, including white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, and moose. Chronic Wasting Disease does not infect livestock or humans. The disease can be transmitted within and among deer populations, and no treatments or vaccines are available. The disease is transmitted directly through animal-to-animal contact, and indirectly through contact with objects or environments contaminated with infectious material such as saliva, urine, feces, and carcasses of infected animals.

Planet Princeton reached out to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for comment about the deer Tuesday and was still awaiting a response as of Thursday morning. Lowe then provided Planet Princeton with a letter from the Wildlife Permit Unit rejecting her request to keep Rudolph.

“On your application, you do not specify the purpose for the possession of the deer, other than to keep it safe,” reads the Wildlife Permit Unit letter. “To this date, the deer has been kept as a pet for five years, and the application indicates that the deer is very tame and is not suitable for rehabilitation. None of the purposes for possession provided on the application indicate any rehabilitative or scientific purposes.”

The letter goes on to say Lowe’s application does not list the required information about how she obtained the deer, including the name, telephone number, and address of the person she got the deer from.

“The source of acquisition for the deer states that the deer is from a farm,” reads the letter. “No permit will be granted for any captive game animal without appropriate documentation that the captive animal was acquired legally from a licensed breeder. Your application states that the baby deer came out of the woods and walked right up to you before bringing it home with you, proving the deer was not legally acquired.”

According to state officials, having a deer as an emotional support animal is not an exception to state rules.

“Due to the growing concern of the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease in wild and captive cervids (deer) throughout the United States and to prevent the introduction of CWD into the State of New Jersey, no new permits for Cervidae will be granted,” reads the letter. “The animal must be surrendered to New Jersey Fish and Wildlife Conservation Officers.”

Rudolph in his stall
Rudolph’s days at the farm are numbered. State officials plan to confiscate him as early as this week.

Lowe was told Rudolph could be taken this week. She plans to appeal the decision and has reached out to animal advocates and lawyers for help. She also plans to contact state and federal legislators representing her district. She has not been told where he will be taken. After speaking with animal experts, Lowe, who works in animal health care in addition to running the stables, fears he will be euthanized.

Rudolph can’t survive in the wild. He was castrated when he was six months old and does not have the normal aggressive traits of a male deer, Lowe says. He has lived his entire life in Lowe’s barn, spending his days in a stall and getting exercise running inside the closed barn before and after stable hours. Lowe says she tried to allow Rudolph to roam free outdoors but he is too timid and comfortable at the barn.

“He just ended up standing in the middle of the road every time we let him out,” Lowe says. “I had to then get him and bring him back to the barn. I worried so much that he would be hit by a car. He is used to being in the barn where he feels secure.”

Lowe questions how the deer could be a disease risk when it does not have contact with other deer at all and has not the entire time she has taken care of him. She doesn’t think the state’s decision is fair given the circumstances.

“Even just transporting him, he will be scared to death,” Lowe said. “Every veterinarian I’ve talked to over the past week says the same thing, that it’s cruel to the animal to take it away from the only mother it has ever known.”

Rudolph resting
Rudolph in his stall at the farm in Lawrenceville.
Avatar of Krystal Knapp

Krystal Knapp is the founding editor of Planet Princeton. Follow her on Twitter @krystalknapp. She can be reached via email at editor AT planetprinceton.com. Send all letters to the editor and press releases to that email address.

31 Comments

  1. Hope he will be able to live the rest of his lifespan at this caring farm. We all know his fate if the state were to take him.

  2. What the authorities are saying is that they will euthanize Rudy. He’s obviously not a disease risk, and this appears to be a case of unnecessary rigidity when it comes to following the rules and law enforcement.

    While I completely understand that taking in wild animals is a complicated action, regardless of how good our intentions are, it’s done now, and Rudy has been just living his life for the past five years without any trouble. Until some busybody felt the need to interfere. Save us from such people. I wonder what the neighbor’s motivation was in calling the authorities. I smell venom.

    It would be really great if the paperwork somehow got lost in this case, giving the authorities a way out. I’m just saying.

  3. The lady is in her right to take care of an animal that can’t take care of themselfs, it’s the state that is wrong, i wish i could help her. I will pray the state gets this right, she is a hero.

  4. The deer lives on a farm, that would be the perfect place for Rudy.
    He has no contact with any other deer. How could he ever be exposed to these diseases?
    He should be able to stay at his home.
    Please allow Rudy to stay with his family!

  5. I think she should be able to keep him! When she reached out at 1st when she found him & no one wanted to help! She has saved his life & he is living a healthy happy life on the farm with the only family he has ever known!!

  6. It just doesn’t stop. Why don’t people get something to do other than looking at what your doing. It’s your farm . Do what you want on your farm. The hell with everyone else. Keep your eyes and mouth shut when it comes to my property. And I will do the same. God bless you and your family.

  7. As Tim Walz would say, mind your own damn business. Let the poor deer live out its remaining time with its human family. Sheesh. How cruel to take it away now.

  8. Another example of Government sticking it’s nose where it does not belong. This is just wrong on every level, and there is no good reason to take Rudy from the only home and mother he has ever known. The person who “reported this” should be ashamed of themselves! I wonder how they sleep at night. Isn’t there anyone out there who has any connections to help stop this injustice??

  9. She needs to start an online petition to save Rudy and send it to the Governor for a pardon. It would get a ton of NJ signatures if it gets posted to any of the NJ animal rescue or NJ vegan groups.

  10. What a waste of taxpayers dollars. Control the sad local deer and leave Rudolph-a very healthy, well kept deer and his very knowledgeable care giver alone.

  11. One would think the state has something better to do than to harass a person who cared for this deer. If the Mercer Wildlife Center had its way, the poor fawn would have been hit by car or died of starvation. Are we really seeing the Dept of Environmental Protection at work here or is it the Dept of Environmental Persecution? I wonder when we will wake up to these wasteful bureauracies? Shame on them.

  12. The state can and should make an exception here. The deer cannot harm anyone or spread disease which are the reasons for the law in the first place. Why be so cruel?

  13. As a resident of Hopewell Township, where deer populations are estimated at 112 per square mile, I commend the Department of Environmental Protection’s dedication to wildlife management and public safety. Their efforts to control these numbers and mitigate health risks, particularly zoonotic diseases, are both necessary and appreciated.

    Ms. Lowe’s situation began in May 2019 on her 30-acre property where she cares for various animals. She discovered an orphaned fawn near its deceased mother and, concerned for its survival, contacted the Mercer County Wildlife Center for guidance. The advice to “let nature take its course” conflicted with her conscience, compelling her to provide care herself. For five years, Ms. Lowe has diligently cared for Rudolph at her own expense, keeping him in a controlled environment to prevent contact with other deer, aligning with state concerns over Chronic Wasting Disease. Rudolph has been castrated and socialized to Ms. Lowe, rendering him unable to survive in the wild.

    Despite Ms. Lowe’s responsible actions, she has faced repeated challenges from the state. Her attempts to use proper channels have been met with unhelpful and overly bureaucratic responses that fail to recognize the unique nature of this situation. The Wildlife Permit Unit’s rejection of her application, citing lack of rehabilitative purpose and insufficient acquisition documentation, overlooks the clear evidence of Rudolph’s rescue. Surely, Ms. Lowe can provide photographic evidence and growth records of Rudolph to substantiate her claims (not to mention the alleged call placed to Mercer Co. Wildlife in 2019).

    Allowing Rudolph to remain with Ms. Lowe avoids levying the state with financial and administrative burdens of confiscation, transport, potential euthanasia, and public relations costs. It does not set a problematic precedent, as each case can be evaluated on its merits. Allowing Rudolph to remain at the Lowes’ farm provides an opportunity for local ecological education and community engagement.

    The DEA should re-evaluate its decision with a more compassionate, context-sensitive approach.

    While I am not advocating for just anyone to adopt and foster deer — which would be unsafe for humans and animals – granting Ms. Lowe a conditional permit, with appropriate oversight, would align with public interests while honoring her exceptional stewardship.

  14. This is completely absurd. The deer will not in any way spread wasting disease–he won’t contract it nor spread it. This is mindless “only following orders” garbage that gives government a bad name. Especially local government and local officers because it appears to be so random and mindless and generated by busybodies with some reason for their toxic malcontent. Who is harmed by this situation? It’s too late to change and is by now utterly cruel to enforce. I will call our representatives, which I’ll list below. I’m in Lawrence, district 15, and as far as I know, these are the reps: Shirley Turner, state senator; Verlina Reynolds-JAckson; and Anthony Verrelli. Andy Kim is our Congressman. I recently called Kim’s office for another matter and they were super. I believe Mr. Verrelli has also been responsive on healthcare matters. I wish I had their email addresses but you can all google them, I am sure. Same on phone numbers. Phone calls work. They tally calls and do deliver the messages.

    1. Thank you for the information! We the people need to do something and save this Deer from being taken away from its safe home & probably euthanized.

  15. Thank you Planet Princeton for writing this story. Hopefully someone at the state read the article and will put a stop to this. The woman loves the animal. Why take it away from her. So sad that there are people in government who act this way. It’s unacceptable.

  16. This warm hearted woman cared for an orphaned fawn when no one else would help. This is the ultimate cruelty to her and Rudy if he is taken away from her.

  17. The legal arguments that the state is using against Rudy are absurd. Buying a deer from an authorized breeder (none of which should exist) is okay, but rescuing and caring for an orphan baby deer is not, according to them. Rudy has received excellent care and is so evidently happy where he is and unable to survive in the wild. Forcefully taking him from his home and killing him, which is what the state plans to do, is cruel, barbaric and extreme government overreach. Leave Rudy where he is!
    And I strongly urge his caretaker to contact her local state representatives and, if necessary, Senator Booker, for help in stopping this egregious harm from taking place.

  18. I love this story of humanity and compassion. Shame on the Wildlife Officials for not realizing this deer is NOT a threat.

  19. I will be happy to sign. Petition and help you get signatures. Sometimes the rules need to be bent as per the situation.

  20. why does this NJ response not surprise me. The state of NJ could not do better but they want to control everything. This is a perfect example of why I moved away from my hometown in NJ decades ago. Good luck with Rudolph

  21. Let the poor deer live out the rest of his life with the mother he has only ever know. This is ridiculous these people are on a power trip. Do the God given right thing and leave it be. I spoke to a fish and game warden not too long ago and he said there hasn’t been any reports of CWD in these parts in quite a few years. So his chances are slim to none, especially since he hasn’t even been near a deer. Heck he doesn’t even know he’s a deer. There are exceptions to rules and this is one of them. Leave him live out the rest of his life in peace.

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