A Melbourne teen is fighting to stop a young, orphaned deer from being put down following a court ruling.

Authorities claim the fawn named Rudolph is a threat to public safety, but Andy Foots plans to head to court to prove them wrong.

View photos Andy will return to court to fight for the fawn's life. More

Andy found the hungry fawn abandoned next to a tree stump, a few kilometres from Mansfield about a fortnight ago.

Within hours the pair were inseperable.



“We thought Rudolph was a good name because it was coming to Christmas and he’s male,” he told 7 News.

In the eight days after they met, 19-year-old Andy fed Rudolph every three hours until he was nursed back to full health.

View photos

“It slept right next to me because it fretted when I put it in the laundry on its own,” he said.

One week ago authorities took notice that Rudolph had taken up residency in Andy’s bedroom.

They then seized the animal.

“It got attached to me very quickly and now they go ahead and take it,” he said.



“They just come and put it in the police car and drove off”.

Authorities claimed the deer was a threat to public safety but Andy disagreed.

“I put a lot of time and money into feeding it… finally got him drinking and they come and took (sic) him off me,” he said.

On Friday a court ruled Rudolph should be put down.

However Andy and his family have appealed the decision, which means the fawn will be kept in a secret location until his fate is decided.

“I can’t believe it, I can’t believe that an animal can be killed from a court order,” Mum Kay Antsee said.

Andy will return to court early next year with hopes the magistrate will rule that Rudolph won’t have to be put down and can instead live out his days in an animal sanctuary.

“I didn’t even know there was a law against taking a deer out of the bush, especially trying to save one”.