No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Indiana Couple Faces Jail For Nursing Injured Fawn Back To Health

“I was devastated,” Counceller said. While nursing the deer to health, the woman eventually realized that she needed a permit to keep the animal, but didn’t contact officials because she feared they would euthanize it at the sight of its injuries.

When conservation officials returned to the Councellers’ home to put down the animal, Dani was nowhere to be found and the couple claimed the deer escaped from their backyard that same day.

To the knowledge of state officials, the deer never returned and could be living in the wild now – but the Councellers continue to face legal problems. Even though the deer escaped, the couple was charged with a misdemeanor and faces up to 60 days in jail and a $2,000 fine. Their trial will be held on March 7 in Fayette County, but the Councellers say they have no regrets.

“No matter what the law is, we did what was right for the animal,” Jennifer Counceller told ABC.

As the couples’ story received widespread media attention, the Councellers gained thousands of supporters, many of which signed an online petition demanding the the Connersville Police Department drop the charges. A Facebook group called “Drop Charges Against Connersville Police Officer” had more than 30,000 “likes” before 5 p.m. EST Wednesday, while the online petition had more than 25,000 signatures.

The petition’s founder, John Wadby, said he has also raised $1,000 to pay for any fines that might be inflicted upon the couple.

“I’ve got their backs on every angle,” he told the New York Daily News on Tuesday. “It’s not like these people are criminals – they’re good peple.”

Waudby said the media attention has drastically helped him procure signatures and that’s he’s now extending his campaign to target the law itself.