There was no plan in his mind, but he knew that he must act. On instinct, he took a significant risk and hoped it would succeed. They&#8217;d been driving through a densely forested area, where wildlife sightings were common. But this was the first time he&#8217;d ever been in a scenario like this. He examined his pals&#8217; expressions to see if any of them understood how to approach the situation. He had a feeling the rest of his friends had never been in a position like this before as well. Having stated that, they all knew they couldn&#8217;t just leave it at that. They knew they had to act, and they knew they had to act quickly.

A First Time For Everything

Never in a million years could Steve Knoop have anticipated what would happen on that day when they left that morning. Given the fact that he had lived in a rural town for a long time, he and his buddies had no clue what they were in for. Because it ran beside the woods, the route they were traveling on saw very little traffic. They were joking around and enjoying themselves. Steve then abruptly slapped on the brakes.

Nothing Out Of The Ordinary

Steve&#8217;s buddies admonished him for such a startling move, perplexed by the unexpected halt. Then they noticed it. Their initial assumption was that it was a creature struck by a vehicle. In the middle of the road the men noticed a small brown lump. They got out to examine the situation because they didn&#8217;t see any other indications of an accident and there were no other cars around. And then things only got crazier from there.

Was It An Accident?

Upon closer inspection, they realized the animal was a baby deer. It made Steve sad to imagine how that poor creature must have felt after being hit. However, the fawn&#8217;s eyes were open.The creature was odd in that its legs collapsed around its body, striving to make itself appear smaller. One of the guys then proposed a theory.

An Odd Position

A friend of Steve&#8217;s speculated the deer was crouching like that to disguise itself and hide. The creature was born just minutes earlier, according to another theory based on its size. It was determined that the deer was not injured and that it was healthy after seeing it breathe. No matter how they looked at it, they knew that they couldn&#8217;t turn their backs on it and walk away.

It Was Hiding

One of the guys replied, &#8220;I think we should leave it alone.&#8221; But Steve had another idea because he was worried about another car running over it. &#8220;I&#8217;ll walk over there and park the truck sideways and wait until it wakes up. It ought to do so soon,&#8221; he added. When they were contemplating how long they would have to protect the fawn, they heard rustling sound from behind them.

They Had To Protect It

While peering into the woods, the men noticed a deer poking its head out from behind a bush. The moment Steve realized that it was the fawn&#8217;s mother, he was relieved that it might have a chance of surviving. After learning that they needed to figure out a way to move it, one of the guys decided to take action.

It Was The Mom!

Paul and Steve were in agreement that they needed to get it off the road, but the other men were still undecided. They chose to go with Paul&#8217;s decision because they couldn&#8217;t think of anything else. He began walking carefully towards the newborn deer. Meanwhile, Steve was filming everything. &#8220;It&#8217;s not going to injure me,&#8221; Paul remarked, concerned about startling the fawn. &#8221; That&#8217;s not something I&#8217;m concerned about.&#8221;

Taking Action

The fawn&#8217;s reaction to Paul&#8217;s presence was assessed as Paul bent down behind it, gradually bringing his hands closer. It looked relatively unfrightened to him as he placed his hands underneath its rear legs. Upon picking it up, he immediately jumped up and began walking across the road toward the trees. The fawn then began to squirm.

Being Cautious

In response to Paul&#8217;s approach, the deer began to struggle to free itself from Paul&#8217;s grasp as he walked off the road and onto the grassy shoulder. &#8220;Don&#8217;t drop it!&#8221; cried one of the guys. Paul managed to pull the fawn in closer to the ground before letting go of it thanks to his firm grasp. His mother waited for him, but the baby deer flew into the woods and escaped. Everyone was stunned.

A Happy Ending

Paul turned to look at his friends with an ecstatic look on his face as soon as he saw the fawn leaping towards its mother, “Yeah!” he shouted, with his arms in the air. The other men were also delighted that the mission was accomplished. One of them exclaimed that it was “awesome!”. Steve, knowing what a remarkable moment it had been, decided to post the video online. But reactions differed.

Their Mission Was Accomplished

Some people were critical and noted that the fawn’s mother was right there and the fawn would probably have made its way back to her if the guys had left it alone. However, most people praised Paul’s actions for helping save the baby deer. Steve’s video of the incident has since been viewed over five million times. But is the negative commentary warranted?

Could They Have Done It Differently?

As a person, it is normal to worry that a baby by itself may be in trouble, but according to the Virginia Beach Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, female deer do tend to leave their fawns on their own while it’s light out, and they always come back. Most of the time it is best to leave them alone because handling them could lead to dire consequences.

Mom Always Comes Back

The lingering human scent on a faun could cause their mothers to reject them, so wildlife experts generally advise against touching baby deer. The Washington Department of Fish and WildlifeIf recommends that, if you must handle them, you “rub an old towel in the grass and wipe the fawn to remove human scent” afterward. Paul had no time to clean the fawn off before it ran off &#8212; but this doesn’t mean that what he did was wrong.

Consequences

“If the fawn is found in a dangerous place&#8230; [it] may be picked up and immediately moved several feet away from the danger,&#8221; The Virginia Beach Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says on their website. They would definitely have approved of what Paul had done that day. And we agree, too!

Helping Animals In Need

“If the fawn is found in a dangerous place… [it] may be picked up and immediately moved several feet away from the danger,” The Virginia Beach Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says on their website. They would definitely have approved of what Paul had done that day. And we agree, too! But it&#8217;s not only humans who can show an amazing amount of compassion toward other beings&#8230;

Mark held his breath. His dog Storm had never jumped into the sea like that. In fact, he usually acted like a cat around water. He paddled away from the shore and disappeared underwater. Was he alright? Could he breathe? The waves were getting bigger. Mark’s heart stopped. But when Storm finally surfaced, he finally realized what was going on.

Loose

Mark Freeley was lonely. He thought working as a busboy in the evenings, a waiter between classes, and a barista in the mornings would make his day fly. But instead, the hours dragged. He didn’t have time to socialize with anyone in Hofstra University School of Law, let alone have a relationship! He functioned on four hours of sleep a night. Eventually, the pressure started to take a toll on him emotionally and physically.

Hard Work

His neighbor had the constant company of a canine. Mark always dreamed of having his own dog. He promised himself that when he finally made it to a comfortable position, he would adopt a pooch to share the good life with. However, after all the years spent working, studying, and trying to keep himself from having a mental breakdown, he wasn’t sure if he could even take care of himself. Rent was so high, he was living on pasta and noodles. Then, things changed.

Companion

After his first year, Mark finally saved up enough to move into a loft downtown. Finally, he didn’t have to eat where he slept or sleep where he ate. What was he going to do with all this room? As he waited on the steps for the delivery van, a short man passed with a basket of pups. “20 bucks. Sir?” Mark looked down at the furballs. Maybe it was a sign? But was he ready to be responsible for another life? For the first time in forever, Mark decided to take a chance.

Chance

Storm was a beautiful golden retriever. Mark soon forgot what the word ‘lonely’ meant. Storm may have left his sofa covered in long blonde hairs, but he was infatuated. He no longer had to come home to an empty house. And as time went on, his career excelled. He was passionate and re-energized. After a year, they welcomed Sarah to their family. She was a lab mix and immediately fit in. Finally, everything had fallen into place. But there were some things Mark couldn’t control.

Puppy Love

Storm and Sarah kept Mark physically and mentally fit. When he didn’t want to get out of bed in the morning, they dragged him to the door for walks. An hour twice a day was enough to tire Mark Freeley, but not Storm. Everything seemed the same that morning. Mark drank his coffee and then grabbed the leash. A stroll along Long Island beach was going to do them the world of good. But he never thought he would witness this.

Walkies

Storm ran into the water and swam like a fish in Pirate’s Cove. Mark had only ever seen him move that fast for food! What was going on? He disappeared beneath the surface and reappeared by a brown mound. Was it dirt? Seaweed? But as Storm made his way back to the shore, Mark couldn’t believe what was in his mouth.

Swimmer

When Storm finally reached land, Mark grabbed his phone. Storm hadn’t returned with a random treasure, but a fawn. Somehow, it had fallen into the water before being dragged out by the tide. Storm opened his jaw and let the young animal fall to the ground. But it wasn’t moving. What had Storm done?

Creature

Understandably, the fawn was exhausted from trying to stay afloat in the sea. Mark was astonished. How had it managed to tread the water? How long was it stuck out there? But most importantly, how did Storm even notice an animal that was meters away in the middle of the sea?

Rescue

The young faun had little chance of escape. Had it not been for Storm, the young creature would have surely perished. Storm picked it up by the back of the neck as it if was his own puppy. But the fawn still wasn’t moving. Its mother was nowhere to be seen and Mark wasn’t sure what to do. Just as he got animal rescue on the phone, something amazing happened.

Lost

Storm tugged on the fawn’s ears. After a moment, it began to wake up. He lay down next to it, hoping it was ready to get up. But when it eventually stood, it walked two steps and collapsed again. Storm jumped to its side and began to rub his belly with his nose. Then, he started pulling the fawn’s leg. Mark thought the story was going to have a sad ending. But fate had another idea.

Miracle

The young fawn eventually stood and began to walk. Mark was mesmerized. Had Storm really encouraged the young animal to stand up again? He couldn’t believe what he had witnessed. He shared the video online which gained over 2 million views. “He only knows love and care and attention, and I swear, that’s part of his personality,” Mark later shared. But this wasn’t the first instance of Storm showing just how special he was.

Fans

Mark shared that they had been fostering two puppies that same week. Storm was six at the time, but the puppies treated him like one of their own by pulling his ears and biting his tail. “They were tormenting him,” Mark explained. But Storm wasn’t one bit bothered. He sat peacefully as the young pups used him as a chewing toy. “This dog has never given me a day of grief.” What was Mark’s secret?

Patience

Storm is now 7 years old and continues to be the ideal pet. And Mark had some advice to give to new pet owners. “When you’re training from your dog, it’s all about positive reinforcement and love,” he explained. “I’ve never had to raise my voice.” It seems as though the loving, secure environment Mark provided really helped Storm blossom into a calm, caring dog. But would his reputation remain untarnished forever?

Baby Deer Refuses To Move, Man Realizes He Has To Act Quickly