Deer Raised As Pet Euthanized; Caretaker Devastated

Furry, gentle, and loyal, Bamm Bamm was much like any other pet, said Patricia Sears.

But wildlife officials said the young buck was very different. In fact, he considered Sears his "mother" since birth.

"He'd be down there (in the yard) eating honeysuckle vines. He wasn't totally dependant on us. It was just the pet part in him, I guess," Sears said.

Sears found the newborn deer on the side of road in her Gaston County neighborhood seven months ago. She brought it home and nursed it to health, but by taking him in she was breaking the law.

Last week, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission found out about Bamm Bamm and euthanized him.

Wildlife Sgt. David O’Neal said it is dangerous to take in wild animals.

"The older this deer gets, the more dangerous it becomes because the testosterone and antlers start coming out and start growing stronger and bigger," he said.

O'Neal said they could not release the deer into the wild after it depended on people for so long, but Sears and her neighbors said Bamm Bamm was doing no harm.

"That deer never bothered nobody. (He) just walked around -- just a pet," said neighbor Lester Cook III.