Louisiana Family Devastated After Pet Deer Euthanized by State Agents

BATON ROUGE, LA (KPEL) — The local community is saddened and outraged after learning of another tame deer being euthanized against a family's wishes.

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Jeff Dorson with The Humane Society is calling on members of the community and across Louisiana to speak out and demand accountability from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

Recently, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents reportedly killed a young deer that had been bottle-fed as a fawn by a local family after they found it roaming their neighborhood looking for shelter.

These are heartbreaking stories of human compassion being met with cruelty by our state government.

Once the family determined the fawn had been separated from its mother, they bonded with the fawn until LDWF agents killed it despite the community saying it was gentle and harmless.

This sadness and madness must stop

WAFB reported that the Sibley family of Livingston Parish had been caring for a blind deer named 'Little Buck' for more than seven years after a woman in Baton Rouge asked them to take it in back in.

The deer was free to roam their property and quickly became a beloved member of their family. However, LDWF seized and euthanized the deer, stating it was illegal to keep such wildlife without a permit.

State Representative Lauren Ventrella responded to the agent's actions, calling for change.

If this deer is free to come and go as it pleases, is that really even possessing wildlife in the first place?

Mr. Sibley faced a $1,650 fine and criminal charges; prosecutors later dropped the case. However, it appears that the Sibley family is now dealing with even larger legal issues.

Some supporters believe that the family is now being targeted after speaking out about LDWF and their actions, which they say traumatized their 11-year-old son, while others think the events are unrelated.

One commenter, Bailee G, wrote, "These are good people being targeted for exposing the corruption in their own community. Although it appears there were illegal practices going on (I’m not against legal consequences) let’s look deeper into it instead of judging people we don’t know! Hoping to see some actual justice instead of blind punishment."

This has not been confirmed, and the investigation is ongoing

Family members set up a GoFundMe for their $1.8M bond; however, the page is no longer active.

Call to Action:

The Humane Society is urging community members to contact LDWF Secretary Tyler Bosworth and demand an end to the agency’s current policies regarding situations like these.

They’ve launched a 3-day campaign encouraging phone calls and emails to voice public concern.

You can reach Secretary Bosworth’s office through:

• Email: Brooke Delahoussaye, Secretary's Assistant — BDelahoussaye@wlf.la.gov

• Phone (Secretary’s Office): 225-765-2828

• General LDWF Contact: 225-765-2800

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