A bird sits on a camera tripod.
/ WFXL
ALBANY, GA. -- An Indiana couple is facing charges for rescuing a deer and keeping it as a pet.
In our Facebook story of the day, people wanted to know if it's illegal to help or rehab wildlife.
According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources officials, it is illegal in Georgia.
They say you have to be a license rehabilitator to take a wounded wild animal in.
This law is set up as a safety precaution.
“All wildlife have a point in time where they are dangerous to humans through bites or scratches. But another thing is that people in general are not qualified to rehabilitate wildlife,” said Captain Jeff Swift, Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
Cpt. Swift says although violators could face a misdemeanor, most of the time they just take the animal and turn it over to a qualified caretaker without any charges being filed.
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