Peanut was found collapsed and unable to stand before being rehabilitated by the Detroit Animal Welfare Group. (Detroit Animal Welfare Group via Facebook)
The DNR has said the agency ordered euthanasia because DAWG failed to meet a deadline to apply for an educational permit to keep the animals in permanent captivity, The Midwesterner reported. The DNR declined to provide additional comment to Fox News Digital, citing ongoing litigation, but confirmed the matter is currently before an administrative law judge.
In their letter, lawmakers warned the case illustrates how state agencies "can exercise disproportionate authority, often to the detriment of citizens and organizations acting in good faith."
Rigas cited "a lack of transparency, arbitrary deadlines and aggressive enforcement tactics" and called for immediate review of DNR procedures.
Rigas accused the DNR of "harassing" DAWG and said it routinely enforces rules unevenly.
"They make these regulations on a case-by-case basis — no consistency, no fairness," Rigas told Fox News Digital. "They’re overfunded, overstaffed, and this is a perfect example of how government overreach hurts good people just trying to do the right thing."
ZOO'S REQUEST FOR DONATIONS OF PETS TO BE FED TO PREDATORY ANIMALS DRAWS PETA BLOWBACK
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is under pressure to stop the DNR from seizing and euthanizing Peanut, a young fawn rescued by a nonprofit. (Geoff Robins/AFP via Getty Images)
The post concludes: "She fought to get this far so we then carried her torch to find her a safe haven to live out her life. She is absolutely precious and deserves every opportunity… However, the Michigan DNR has now ordered her to be killed for absolutely no reason. Please be her voice and help save her life."
Former Republican Michigan gubernatorial nominee Tudor Dixon also weighed in, telling Fox News Digital, "Whitmer and her band of enforcers are obsessed with malicious obedience to their unreasonable government regulations. Too bad Peanut didn’t illegally cross the border — she’d have free healthcare for life."
Rigas and her colleagues also referenced findings from the U.S. House Committee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, which investigated what it calls overreach by state agencies.
In that context, they argued, DAWG’s situation is part of a larger pattern of what Rigas called "government overreach" and disregard for "compassion and common sense."
Rigas said she expects the Michigan House Oversight Committee to hold a hearing later this month to review the DNR’s authority.
"This isn’t just about one deer," she said. "It’s about whether unelected bureaucrats get to decide life and death without accountability."
"The blood of Peanut and Kota will be on the Governor’s hands if she does not act," Rigas said. "This is not just about wildlife — it’s about compassion, common sense, and the proper role of government."
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The case has echoes last fall's seizure and killing of P'Nut the squirrel in New York State under Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, which sparked national outrage.
Whitmer’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Jasmine Baehr is a Breaking News Writer for Fox News Digital, where she covers politics, the military, faith and culture.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/blue-state-bureaucracy-orders-euthanasia-rescued-disabled-fawn-sparking-bipartisan-outrage