A first grade girl recently sent a letter to Los Angeles County animal control officials asking permission to keep a unicorn in her backyard. They agreed, granting her their very first unicorn license – if she can ever find one.
In a letter dated 14 November, a little girl named Madeline wrote to the Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control department about her request.
“Dear LA County,” the letter began. “I would like your approval if I can have a unicorn in my backyard if I can find one. Please send me a letter in response.”
Two weeks later, the department’s director responded to her request. However, to keep the unicorn, Madeline must follow certain rules.
“Thank you very much for your letter requesting permission to have a unicorn in your backyard,” wrote Marcia Mayeda. “I am pleased to tell you that the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control does license unicorns under the following conditions…”
The unicorn must “be cared for in compliance” with Title 10 of the Los Angeles County Code, she wrote. Unicorn owners must also give their pets regular access to “sunlight, moonbeams, and rainbows. In addition, they must be fed one of their favourite treats, watermelon, at least once a week.
Madeline should polish her unicorn’s horn at least once a month with a soft cloth, and if she decides to bedazzle her unicorn, it should be with nontoxic and biodegradable glitter.
“It is always rewarding to hear from young people who thoughtfully consider the requirements of providing a loving home to animals,” Mayeda said in her letter. “I commend your sense of responsible pet ownership to seek permission in advance to keep a unicorn in Los Angeles County.”
As a result, Madeline was granted a preapproved unicorn license, noting that the animals “are indeed very rare to find.” She was also given a heart-shaped unicorn license tag and her very own stuffed unicorn as she continues her search.
The Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control department shared the sweet letter to Facebook and Instagram on Tuesday with a picture of Madeline’s handwritten note.
Mayeda told The Washington Postthat she had never received a request for a unicorn license in her 21 years at the department, until she received Madeline’s letter. When the first-grader’s letter arrived, Mayeda said “everybody was just so touched and charmed and just thrilled with it”.
“She put a lot of thought into this,” she added. “She was doing the right thing by contacting the licensing agency to make sure that it would be okay for her to have a unicorn. And we wanted to definitely respond and encourage that sort of behavior. She’s got a bright future ahead of her.”
