It’s always inspiring when people step up to help animals in need, but it’s even more heartwarming when it’s a kid doing it.
It takes a lot of compassion and maturity for a young person to step up and care for an animal, but that’s just what one boy did, helping out a wild creature in need of a friend.
The story went viral in 2015. Every day, a 10-year-old boy would go out before school to help a blind deer, guiding her to different patches of grass so she could eat.
It was a beautiful sight that caught the attention of a neighbor, who posted the story and photo on Reddit.
The story warmed the hearts of the internet, who were amazed by the unlikely connection forged between the boy and the wild animal: “I’m speechless. That’s so sweet of the boy!” one commenter wrote. “I’m surprised the deer trusts someone enough to allow it!”
While it’s a sweet story, it wasn’t a friendship that could last forever. The boy could never be responsible for the deer full-time, and a blind wild animal is always in danger of being struck by vehicles.
Luckily, this story has a happy ending. The man who posted the story and his wife were able to contact a wildlife rehabilitation center, who agreed to take care of the deer at a forest reserve.
In an update, the poster said that when the rescue arrived to pick up the deer with a trailer, “half the neighborhood” came out to bid farewell, including the boy, and he realized how much the community had cared for the poor animal.
“When they took her away I spoke to some more people and it sounds like the rest of the neighborhood has been feeding her and guiding her away the road for almost a week now,” he wrote.
Many people were concerned about how the boy would handle losing his new friend, but it sounds like the 10-year-old handled the situation with surprising maturity—his only concern was for the deer’s health.
“His concern was very mature,” the poster wrote. “He had only been walking the deer for a few days and hadn’t named her or tried to claim her as a pet or anything like that.”
“The little boy was by far the sweetest example of helping and caring. He showed a lot of love and respect and my wife.”
Thank you to this kindhearted boy for taking care of the deer! He likely saved the animal’s life and led to her being rescued.
Share this heartwarming story!
