Help needed for deer in Middletown with plastic lid stuck around its neck

News 12 was told the deer now appears to have injuries around its neck from the plastic lid.

News 12 Staff

Jan 27, 2022, 8:51 PM

Updated 816 days ago

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There is still no help for a deer in Middletown stuck with a plastic lid around its neck since December.
News 12 first reported on the deer and its plight on Monday.
Viewers sent News 12 a photo of the animal Saturday in a cemetery on Mulberry Street.
News 12 reached out to the DEC, which urged people to call their wildlife department with its exact whereabouts to help.
A woman in the area says she's spotted the animal several times and contacted the DEC but was told there's nothing they can do.
"It hangs and when he tries to eat it bangs and makes loud noises and the other deer run and scatter. It's just heartbreaking to see the poor thing struggling," says Tery Grabowski, of Middletown.
News 12 was told the deer now appears to have injuries around its neck from the plastic lid.
The DEC released the following statement: "DEC has received multiple calls about this deer since mid-December. Environmental Conservation Police Officers have been to the site on several occasions to observe the deer and assess the situation. Their observations, which are consistent with the reports from the public, indicate the plastic lid is not interfering with the deer’s ability to eat and drink, the deer remains in good physical condition, and it is mobile. In instances where a deer (or other wildlife) has a foreign object stuck on its head, leg, etc., but is still mobile and its vision and ability to eat and drink are not impaired, it has generally been the position of DEC to not attempt to intervene. Intervention to remove the lid at this point is not without significant risk to the animal. DEC will continue to monitor the situation and our approach may change if the circumstances warrant a more active response."


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