GREENSBURG - There are about 40 acres in St. Helena Parish where Kimberly Graham calls home. It's where she tends to animals including cows, horses, goats, dogs and parrots. Last month, Graham received a call from someone who had found a spotted fawn on their property and needed help.

"Everyone knows I just love animals and I'll rehab anything," said Graham.

She met them and administered fluids to the fawn, which she thinks was only a few days old. Graham brought the animal back to her home with intentions to nurse it back to health and set it free. It's something she's successfully done before, but also something that the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries identifies as illegal. 

Word got out. In late July, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries responded to a tip about a possible illegal deer rehabilitation center at Graham's home and responded the next day. According to the incident report, an agent found a spotted fawn with a "hunter's orange collar attached to its neck" on Graham's property in an enclosed pen. An LDWF biologist was called to the scene to assess the situation and take possession of the fawn. 

Graham was issued a citation. 

"They allowed me to glove my hands, feed her a bottle and potty her before putting her in a cat kennel to take her off," said Graham.

Soon after, Graham checked in with the LDWF agent, hopeful that the deer would be released.

"He just outright said, 'The deer was euthanized 20 minutes after leaving your house,'" she said.

Within the LDWF report, the biologist made the determination that the fawn had been in captivity for too long and away from its mother to survive on its own. The fawn was euthanized. 

Attorney and State Representative Lauren Ventrella got wind of what happened. She is now representing Graham.

"You have to look at the humanity of the situation of what is right and what is just, we know what the law says but we have to utilize some common sense and what is best for the people," said Ventrella.

While Graham was under the impression that the deer had been euthanized by gunfire, LDWF tells 2 On Your Side that is not the case but was unable to provide the form of euthanasia used.

Ventrella says she feels confident there will be an amicable resolution in the case and plans to call an oversight hearing about this process at the legislature.

The LDWF says it "Has a Constitutional mandate to manage and conserve the public wildlife resources of our state. As part of that mission, LDWF enforces laws set by the legislature to keep wildlife wild and protected in its native habitat. Keeping wildlife as pets is illegal. Spotted fawns are especially vulnerable, so they are afforded heightened protection from private possession under the law. When we find illegally possessed captive wildlife, we make every effort to return them safely and humanely to their natural habitat."

At the time of LDWF's visit, Graham had no current permits on file with LDWF.