Three Deer Imprisoned at Pittsburgh Nursery Need Your Voice

Wikimedia Commons

BACKGROUND | SOURCE PETA

Meder’s Nursery in Pittsburgh reportedly keeps three deer cruelly confined to a tiny windowless room year-round, except during the holiday season when they are exhibited. To make things worse, we’re told that the smallest deer is often bullied by the others.

Deer are undomesticated animals—their wild instincts are still intact. In captivity, with their instinctual needs largely (if not entirely) thwarted, they can become despondent over time and develop abnormal and self-destructive behavior, including pacing, rocking, swaying, bar-biting, and self-mutilation. Others suffer less “dramatically” but remain deeply unhappy at heart. While on exhibit, being subjected to a barrage of strange noises, activity, and people trying to touch them can’t offer these “prey” animals much reprieve.

PETA reached out to the nursery’s owners and urged them to provide the deer with an ample outdoor habitat or to place them with a sanctuary (we offered to help with this), but to no avail. Meanwhile, these wild animals reportedly languish as prisoners. Please contact Meder’s Nursery and politely implore its staff to do right by these deer—then forward this alert widely!


WHOM TO CONTACT

Please send polite comments to:

Email block

nancy@meders.com ,  scott@meders.com ,  kim@meders.com

Individual

Nancy Meder, Owner
Meder’s Nursery
360 Regis Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15236
412-653-7020
nancy@meders.com

Scott Kisner, Manager
Meder’s Nursery
360 Regis Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15236
412-653-7020
scott@meders.com

Kim Kisner, Manager
Meder’s Nursery
360 Regis Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15236
412-653-7020
kim@meders.com


SAMPLE LETTER

Dear Owner Meder and Managers Kisner and Kisner,

Meder’s Nursery in Pittsburgh reportedly keeps three deer cruelly confined to a tiny windowless room year-round, except during the holiday season when they are exhibited. To make things worse, it is my understanding that the smallest deer is often bullied by the others.

Deer are undomesticated animals — their wild instincts are still intact. In captivity, with their instinctual needs largely (if not entirely) thwarted, they can become despondent over time and develop abnormal and self-destructive behavior, including pacing, rocking, swaying, bar-biting, and self-mutilation. Others suffer less dramatically but remain deeply unhappy at heart. While on exhibit, being subjected to a barrage of strange noises, activity, and people trying to touch them can’t offer these animals much reprieve.

Animals are sentient beings, capable of fear, pain, and suffering.  These wild animals are reportedly languishing as prisoners, and I therefore respectfully urge you to provide the deer with an ample outdoor habitat or to place them with a sanctuary.

Thank you for taking the time to read this urgent appeal.

NAME

we are three deer,
and cute we are.
but humans, you
have gone too far.
you have trapped
us inside, to amuse
adult and child.
but we are deer,
we belong in the wild.
not on display,
it is outside we are
meant to play!!!

Karen Lyons Kalmenson