The Northern Lights Wildlife Shelter staff and supporters where thrown into an emotional upheaval this morning, when trying to get an injured fawn to receive medical help. The Smithers Shelter received a call from Prince George yesterday, inquiring if they could help an orphaned and injured newborn fawn. The mother deer was killed in a car accident and while she lay dying on the side of the road delivered twin fawns. One of the babies was dead, but the other one, a little girl, is alive, but suffered a broken leg from the impact.

With the help of the Smithers trucking company Banstra, the fawn was transported the 400 Km to Smithers and arrived there at 2 am in the morning. “She is a feisty little thing” smiles owner operator Angelika Langen “she also has a very healthy appetite.” The Smithers Shelter has for years now received help from a local veterinarian in caring for the sick wildlife they receive. “ Dr. Jani Clougher always donated her work” explains Langen, “which amounted easily to $ 5000 + each year”. However the clinic was recently sold and when contacted this morning the message delivered by the receptionist was that Dr. Mike Des Harnais would be pleased to see the animal and expected costs would run at approximately $ 400. “I was shocked” admits Langen, I didn’t dare hope that he would be as generous as Dr, Clougher was, who not only donated her labour, but also most of the medical supplies. But to charge us full price was a real blow.”

The Shelter now faces the agonizing decision if it can afford to pay this money and take it away from allocated feeding funds. “ If extra funding for medical expenses can not be secured, that might mean the instant death of more difficult cases such as this in the future. “The financially correct thing, looking at our budget, would be to euthanize the fawn, but how can we do that looking at this little miracle of life?” We are hoping that the public can help raise medical funds for our charges and maybe change the doctors mind, hopes Langen. In the meantime they made the fawn as comfortable as possible and provide her with loving care and a young moose as companion.

A life should be worth more then just Dollars and Cents!

For more info and pictures please contact:

The Northern Lights Wildlife Society

Angelika & Peter Langen 17366 Telkwa High Road Smithers BC VOJ 2N7

Phone: 250 847 5101 Cell: 250 877 1181 e-mail: info@wildlifeshelter.com website:

www.wildlifeshelter.com

Barbara Murray North Shore Contact: 604-924-0807