Parents know this: the dearest wish for a child at Christmas, a pet. But beware! The fact that children want a cute playmate does not mean that they will then go out with the dog at dawn in the drizzle and bag his body-warm piles. Or that they deal with the hamster late in the evening because he doesn’t have office hours during the day and only really gets going when normal people are asleep.
Little Madeline from Los Angeles is different – you could trust her with a dog and hamster at any time, even larger ones, because she seems to be conscientiously preparing for her role as a pet owner. As the Los Angeles Times reported, the girl wrote to the county and asked if she could get a permit to keep a unicorn in the backyard, “if I could find one.” Marcia Mayeda, director of the County Animal Care and Control Department, was so impressed by so much responsibility that she posted the letter on Instagram.
In her reply letter, she gave Madeline an official unicorn license and included a pink metal heart-shaped tag. And because they took the girl’s concern seriously, the authorities also listed the official conditions for species-appropriate husbandry: The unicorn needs access to sunlight, moonbeams and rainbows. It should be fed at least once a week with its favorite food, namely watermelon. His horn must be polished with a soft cloth at least once a month. And any glitter used must be non-toxic and biodegradable.
In the meantime, with best wishes, a stuffed unicorn will be included, the letter says. After all, unicorns are indeed very rare to find.
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