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Water Works Deer in Hot Seat Again!Well here's a quick summary of events. Only 17 deer remain in the Minneapolis Water Works located within the city of Columbia Heights, MN. These 17 are the lucky ones who escaped the massacre of the rest of their family on New Years Eve 2003, the last day of bowhunting season. Now a year later, after a number of meetings of a citizen’s deer task force it was finally decided to attempt to get the DNR to allow the transport of our deer. After months, the DNR finally granted us a permit to transport the 17 remaining deer (only 1 doe) to Minnesota Wildlife Connection in Sandstone, MN under the care of Lee Greenly. This facility houses various species of wildlife ranging from wolves, to bobcats, to deer. All of Mr. Greenly's animals are a part of his photography business. He allows photographers to come to his facility and photograph his creatures for calendars, wall pictures, posters, etc. This is his livelihood; this is how he supports his family. Mr. Greenly was very clear throughout all the deer task force meetings of his intentions to use the Water Works deer in his business. He has put up a new $23,000 fenced in area to house our deer. The area is wooded with plenty of food and water. A country singer, Troy Gentry is willing to pay for the transport of these deer to their new home where they would live out their lives. Now the DNR has granted a permit with some rather harsh restrictions. One being that our deer may not be "exhibited" or in other words, photographed. During transport, if any of the deer are injured (this could be as minute as a small scratch), DNR and Golden Valley Humane Society Officer Keith Streff, will be in charge of killing the animals by ""non-chemical"" methods. Either gunshot, bow and arrow, blow to the head, slit their throat, etc. (On a side note, Keith Streff has informed us that the Humane Society he works for never deals with wildlife, only with cats and dogs. So why is he even involved if he doesn’t know anything about this? He is the same man that said bow hunting is euthanasia!). So if these deer cannot be photographed, Lee Greenly will not take them. He can't! He would go out of business trying to care for these animals and not being able to make any money from them. If the deer cannot be transported, the 17 remaining ""silent neighbors"" must endure yet another slaughter by bow and arrow. Minnesota State Representative Barb Goodwin has been hard at work with us over the last year. She is again looking at the state statutes written in the permit issued. Meanwhile the rest of us are busy contacting local media and state officials informing them of this insanity at hand. We urge you all to write to governor Tim Pawlenty at Tim.Pawlenty@state.mn.us and ask why it is so hard to move 17 deer to a new facility. These deer are tame; they have known nothing but kindness from humans until last year. They are trapped in this area with no way in or out. They are not a menace to anyone, they cause no traffic accidents, and they bother no one! Their little deer families have lived on that land for 50+ years and they deserve the right to live!
There is a public meeting this Thursday, January 13th @ 7PM at Murzyn
Hall, 530 Mill St. NE in Columbia Heights. All are encouraged to attend. Return to Crisis Center Action Alerts |