'Sometimes love should be enough': Couple vow to keep pet deer who they saved as a newborn while her mother lay dying in the road



Lilly the deer has lived with couple at their Michigan home for five years

Couple have been told Lilly could been taken away because the state does not allow wild animals to be kept as pets



A couple who rescued a baby deer as her mother lay dying outside their home after being hit by a car said today they will fight to keep the animal as a part of the family.

The Michigan couple, who did not want to be named, have kept Lilly the deer at their Genesee County home for five years.



Despite a police officer telling the couple that the fawn 'won't last 15 minutes', the couple nursed the creature back to health and watched her flourish.



Deer friend: Lilly the deer has been cared for by a Michigan couple for five years after they rescued her from her dying mother in the road outside their home

All you need is love: Lilly's owner, who did not want to be named, said that there should be exceptions to the rule on keeping wild animals as pets and they would fight for Lilly

She was named Lilly and became just another member of the family. She sleeps on a futon, watches Animal Planet on TV, likes to nap with the cats and enjoys a game of Frisbee in the back yard.

Lilly is now under threat of being taken from her family after the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) received a complaint that the homeowners were keeping a wild animal as a pet.

However the family are not giving up their beloved deer without a fight.



The woman who raised Lilly told GMA: 'She's just like a big brown dog... she's a member of our family and we love her to pieces.'

She added: ' We thought we were helping her – saving her life. And we did . I think there’s exceptions to the rules. Sometimes love should be enough.'

Kicking back: Lilly's owners have hired a lawyer to fight to keep their pet out the hands of authorities

Miracle fawn: Lilly was born on the side of the road after her mother was hit by a car. A Michigan couple nursed her to health and has kept her as a pet ever since

Outdoor doe: Lilly enjoys playing frisbee in the backyard with the couple's two dogs

The couple's old neighbors did not have a problem with Lilly but when new neighbors moved in and invited friends over, one of their guests reported the deer to authorities.



The couple returned home to find a note on their door, warning them that keeping the deer was illegal.

The DNR plans on taking the deer away. If Lilly fails to rehabilitate, they will put her down.

It is illegal to keep a wild animal in the state of Michigan, something that the couple did not know.



However, since Lilly was raised in their home, and only knows domesticated life, they feel that an exception should be made.

Nap time: Apparently, Lilly can be quite lazy. According to her owner it takes a bit of prodding to get her off the futon in the morning

Birthday girl: Like any house pet, Lilly celebrates her birthday every year - complete with festive hats

The couple have hired a lawyer to fight the DNR from taking Lilly away. One of the owner's described the pain of losing the pet deer as like 'losing a child'.



However there are some situations the couple would be okay with, such as placement at a nearby petting zoo.



‘Some place close where we can visit her,’ one of Lilly’s owners told MailOnline. ‘She’s going to be heartbroken. We’re all she’s ever known.’

