Phones at the Oregon Humane Society have been ringing off the hook with concerned callers worried about the deer taken from a Molalla family Wednesday.

As the saga of Snowball and Bucky unfolded in the media, over 40 people called into OHS wanting to help the deer. OHS has been recommending that people direct their concerns to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

The Oregon Humane Society urges anyone who finds wildlife in distress to contact the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife immediately.

"The law is in place for a very good reason - to protect people and wildlife," said Sharon Harmon, OHS executive director. "The well-intentioned Molalla couple was clearly in violation of the law for six years, but now we need to ask ourselves, what is the best outcome for these deer now?"

Background: Fates of deer uncertain

OHS feels that would be an appropriate sanctuary where the deer can live out their lives in a safe haven.

"Wildlife does not make an appropriate pet. But these deer shouldn't be destroyed because of the human intervention in their life," Harmon said.

It is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $6,250 fine to capture, possess or attempt to rehabilitate most species of wildlife in Oregon without proper state and federal permits.