The story of a 2-year-old buck known as Baby that was cared for like a pet in Connellsville is dividing people. Some are upset that the deer was taken away, but the Pennsylvania Game Commission says no one has the legal authority to "possess" wildlife.

Since that story aired on KDKA-TV, the Pennsylvania Game Commission says they've been inundated with phone calls. Some comments on social media call the Game Commission "heartless" and "cruel" while others say wildlife should be kept wild.  

In the video that started the outcry, the buck named Baby was roped and tied and dragged away. Tammy Shiery, who says Baby is her pet, can be heard screaming in the background, "you're hurting him." She was ultimately arrested by state police for interfering with the Game Comission. The charges were later dropped. 

"What is your response to people who are online, posting comments, calling the Game Commission almost evil for taking this deer away?" KDKA-TV's Barry Pintar asked Andy Harvey, an information and education supervisor with the Game Commission's Southwest Region Office. 

"That's something I've received quite a few phone calls about as well and talking about people all morning long and yesterday, but the fact is, I mean, it is illegal to possess wildlife so that's not something we can overlook. Whenever we are sworn in as officers, our job is to enforce the game law," Harvey said. 

The Pennsylvania Game commission said they understand Baby is loved by his keeper and the entire neighborhood but it's an issue of safety. 

"You have that safety risk. They still have that wild aspect to them. An adult male deer in this situation can do some serious damage to a person, kids, other pets, different things like that, and they never lose that wild aspect to them," Harvey said. 

Shiery said she has paperwork that allows for animals like Baby to be designated as pets, but the Game Commission says her paperwork is for animals born in captivity. Because Baby was born in the wild, he can never be considered a pet.

"You as the Pennsylvania Game Commission, you have actually seen people seriously injured by what they thought was a domestic pet?" Barry Pintar asked. 

"I do remember one instance where, it was the same situation, someone took a deer in at a young age, habituated it and then it became a full-sized adult male deer with antlers and in the fall, it gored the couple, puncturing their body with its antlers and sent them to the hospital," Harvey said. 

As for Baby's fate, Harvey said it'll be a tough call. 

"Frankly, we just don't know at this point. I will assure everybody it was not just taken down the road and euthanized, it was taken to a licensed facility," Harvey said.

Meantime, Shiery still has her charges to face before a judge sometime next month. She says she has a lawyer, and in addition to the arrest charges, part of their fight will be to find a way to allow Baby to be returned back home.