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Deer Fawn Rescue Halted in B.C. Over Disease Fears
1 Sep
Summary
- Wildlife rescue in Golden, B.C. can no longer accept fawns.
- New permit restrictions prevent handling fawns due to CWD.
- Public urged not to intervene with distressed fawns.
A wildlife rescue in Golden, B.C., Little Mittens Animal Rescue, has ceased accepting injured or orphaned deer fawns. This decision follows new restrictions on its provincial wildlife rehabilitation permit, issued on June 24, 2026, by the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship. The updated rules prevent licensed facilities in the Kootenay region from taking in, transporting, or rehabilitating white-tailed and mule deer fawns.
These changes are a direct response to the detection of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in B.C.'s Kootenays in January 2024. CWD is a fatal neurological disease affecting cervids. While the rescue understands the goal of protecting the wider wild population, the inability to assist distressed fawns is deeply distressing for volunteers.
The rescue continues to receive calls from concerned citizens, with some expressing a willingness to care for fawns themselves. However, the rescue warns that the public lacks the necessary quarantine procedures and disease awareness, posing risks to both the animals and the wider wildlife population. The ministry advises the public to leave fawns alone unless clearly sick or injured, and to report concerns via the RAPP line for professional assessment. The restriction has no set end date as CWD risk is continuously assessed.
