SOKD has been trusted by many Keys residents to assess sick and injured Key Deer. We share our evaluation with local veterinarians and the USFWS refuge manager, and have, on a few occasions, been given permission to coordinate veterinarian assessment and treatment. Although some veterinary and rehab activities were done by the Refuge in the mid-2000s, they were discontinued and presently there is no established care program to render even simple in-the-field medical assistance or to rescue, raise (and subsequently release) orphaned fawns. SOKD believes that simple veterinary assistance should be rendered to Key deer hurt by human causes (e.g. removal of plastic rings or pipe from a leg and administering antibiotic for the concurrent infection) and has the support of resident veterinarians who are willing to help in a Good Samaritan capacity. SOKD would like to work collaboratively with the Refuge to make such interjection easier. Similarly, SOKD has the means to finance and organize the care of and subsequent soft release of orphaned Key deer fawns and wants to work with the Refuge to be able to do so in the future. Back