(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration has agreed to reverse its planned killing of a beloved blind baby deer named “Peanut,” following days of mounting backlash on social media and pressure from bipartisan state lawmakers.
Peanut, along with a coyote named “Kota,” had been scheduled for euthanasia by the Whitmer-led Department of Natural Resources, despite opposition from the non-profit currently caring for the rescued animals. Kota’s fate remains uncertain.
Gretchen Whitmer’s DNR reverses kill order for blind fawn Peanut after public pressure https://t.co/Aa3RHAfqbf
— The Midwesterner (@Th_Midwesterner) October 17, 2025
The Detroit Animal Welfare Group rescued Peanut on Oct. 1 and requested permission from the Whitmer administration to keep her at their facility.
The DNR had denied the request, claiming the non-profit had missed deadlines and that keeping the blind deer would violate state regulations.
According to The Westerner, the Whitmer administration approved saving Peanut, provided she is transferred to a different facility for educational purposes.
Current state regulations stipulate that rehabilitated deer must be released by Oct. 1, ahead of winter. Rescued animals kept past that deadline are typically subject to euthanasia.
Republican Rep. Angela Rigas led a group of bipartisan lawmakers advocating for Peanut’s life. “We won,” Rigas said in an interview. “Next we save Kota and the ducks.”
