Thousands join campaign on Change.org demanding investigation into North Carolina’s authorized killing of nine penned deer on Randolph County rehabilitation farm
RALEIGH, NC – Thousands of people have joined a popular campaign on Change.org demanding the North Carolina Wildlife Commission investigate the shooting of nine tame deer on a rehabilitation farm in North Carolina.
Millie Bowling, a concerned North Carolina resident, created the online petition after armed wildlife agents stormed a Randolph County rehabilitation farm on September 20 and shot and killed nine penned dear, including one fawn and a deer blinded in one eye.
“I’m a great supporter of the wildlife commission,” said Bowling, who started the petition on Change.org, the world’s fastest-growing platform for social change. “But they are out of control shooting these animals.”
Locals claim that the commission, game warden, and wildlife agents abused their power in the deer killing incident. While the wildlife agents who stormed the property claimed to have a warrant, residents counter that the warrant did not authorize agents to kill the animals, only to seize them.
“Where were our fourth amendment rights in all this?” asked Jo Henderson, a neighbor who initially raised one of the slain deer before placing it on the rehabilitation farm. “It just breaks my heart. There was no reason to kill those animals, and our rights are being trampled. We’re not going to stand for it.”
Attorney Matthew Altamura is representing rehabilitation farm owner Wayne Kindley. He released a statement saying, “The search warrant obtained by the WRC officers did not authorize any form of killing. The warrant was strictly limited to the seizing and holding of the deer until further order of the court. Acting without court order, the officers simply decided to shoot first and make excuses later.”
News of the campaign’s success is likely to increase pressure on the wildlife commission. Henderson has been collecting petition signatures both online and offline and plans to deliver them at a wildlife commission meeting on Thursday.
“People across the country have been moved by this campaign,” said Corinne Ball, Director of Organizing at Change.org. “This may have happened in a small community in North Carolina, but now folks from all over are paying attention. Change.org is about empowering anyone, anywhere to take action on issues that matter to them, and it’s been really incredible watching Millie Bowling’s campaign take off.”
County resident Jo Henderson will deliver more than 6,000 signatures at the North Carolina Wildlife Commission meeting at 9:00AM on Thursday, October 13, in the NCWRC Conference Room at 1751 Varsity Drive.
