White Lake Twp. officer saves fawn after mother was killed in crash on M-59
The Brief
A White Lake officer saved a fawn after its mother and siblings were killed in a car crash.
The officer's Wright's southern roots prepared him for this sort of situation.
WHITE LAKE TWP., Mich. (FOX 2) - A police officer was hailed a hero by animal lovers after he revived and rescued a fawn, prematurely born after its mom was hit and killed by a driver.
The impact of the crash killed the doe, and the trauma caused a traumatic delivery.
What they're saying
Two of the three fawns were already dead, but there was one left who was a fighter. The hero was White Lake Township police officer Frank Wright.
"It started breathing a little better and made noise, so I knew, uh oh, this one might make it," he said.
It was the third deer versus car call of Tuesday night, but for this call, the doe that was hit had been pregnant with triplets. In the upsetting scene, a glimmer of life appeared to the officer.
"I could tell there was shallow breathing still, so I picked it up by its hind legs and kind of let it drain its fluid out of its lungs. Once it made a noise, I knew then this deer might be okay," he said.
Big picture view
Officer Wright's southern roots prepared him for this sort of situation.
"I grew up in West Virginia and kind of grew up on a farm, so I knew how to take care of animals, especially ones that are going into labor," he said.
He had delivered plenty of lambs and calves and knew this fawn needed goat's milk and a warm blanket. The premature fawn was just 6 pounds and started to perk right up with a bottle.
Knowing he needed special treatment, the "Detroit Animal Welfare Group" (DAWG) took him in to nurse him back to health. As of Thursday, the rescue group says he's weak, but his vital signs are stable.
Local perspective
The fawn was named "Baby Meijer" because he was born just along M-59 in White Lake Township.
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