Fawn found hiding in garage of home near construction site

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Laura Potter and her daughter, Liana were going out for a walk with their dog when they found a fawn laying in their yard. 

"It was very young. I didn’t expect to see it so close. I walked right up to it and it didn't move," said Liana. 

The fawn was just a few days old and without its mother. The Potters' continued on, deciding to check back an hour later. The fawn had moved, but it wasn't far. 

"We thought it was gone," said Liana. "The fawn was in our garage, just laying there. It was just so small, like a newborn." 

They called Wildlife, Inc. to help. Laura imagines nearby construction spooked its mother away. 

"I feel like they don’t have much land to use anymore. It’s all being taken up," she said. 

It's no secret that construction continues to boom east of the interstate. Land that was once home to deer and their fawns is rapidly being converted into housing developments. 

"There's not really any good hiding places for them anymore," said Ed Straight with Wildlife, Inc.

Volunteers with the Bradenton Beach-based organization rehabilitate displaced and abandoned fawns. They're currently caring for six such animals.

Wright said he has been doing this for 32 years. In the beginning, there were only one or two. Now he gets about 10 a year. 

"None of them were over a week old when they came in. Now some are over three weeks old," he said. 

Signs advertising new homes are put up and construction equipment remains in motion. Straight knows it's cut down on deer habitats. 

"We've had several locations that were excellent for several years and suddenly we see signs up and moving in and they’re pushing down all the trees," he said. 

He imagines the problem will only worsen.

"It's an endless cycle," he said.  

To report a sick or abandoned animal, contact Wildlife, Inc. at 941-778-6324 or visit wildlifeinc.org