In a letter to Gov. Chris Christie, Mr. Oakes explained, "My wife has been raising and releasing deer for the past 15 years. These fawns were brought to her by police officers, animal control officers and others... mostly all cases where the mothers were killed by cars and the babies were still by their sides." He wrote, "Brenda has a very big heart, too big at times." He asked that she be granted a wildlife rehab permit because of her extensive experience helping deer and her volunteer work with veterinarians.

At 9:30 Monday, with the authorities due at 10 to take her three deer, Mrs. Oakes was in the deer yard petting them and feeding them grain. "I realize it's a law," she said, "but I think it's not black-and-white. This is in a gray area; there should be some way to get around it. It's not as though I'm keeping deer in the city, or the deer are not in excellent shape. They are well cared for, and they are only going to be taken to another fenced-in area. Why not leave them here?"

At about 10:20 the state Division of Fish & Wildlife people arrived in several vehicles, including a pickup truck carrying three wooden deer-transport boxes.

When the Fish & Wildlife entourage arrived at the house, Mrs. Oakes left the premises. Syringes with sedatives were affixed to poles. "Start with Dandy," said Mr. Oakes, "she's protective of the other two." After a few minutes of pursuit mingled with coaxing, all three deer were jabbed. It was remarked that a tranquilizer gun could've been used, but the syringe doesn't damage muscles. Unconscious, the deer were gently carried out of their pen on slings one by one, put into the wooden boxes, loaded onto the truck, and driven away.

Mr. Oakes had sought relief from a variety of non-elected and elected officials, including the governor, but he doesn't think Christie ever saw his letter.

Family friend Morgan Taylor wrote to Kingwood Township Mayor Phil Lubitz asking him to intercede on behalf of the Oakes family. In the letter, Taylor recalled that after Dandy's mother had been hit by a car, Mrs. Oakes had bottle-fed the fawn and stayed up at night holding her to keep her warm "even at times letting the deer into her own bed so she could get some sleep."

Tayor said, "The love she has for her animals is the same love that a mother has for her children, and that's how it's always been, especially with her deer."