www.news.com.au/world/oklahoma-woman-fights-to-keep-her-disabled-pet-kangaroo-named-after-steve-irwin/story-e6frfkz0-1226032694317
A woman is waiting to hear if she will be allowed to keep her disabled pet red kangaroo, which she cares for like a child.
Christie Carr, from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, was given the disabled marsupial named Irwin to care for just weeks after she attempted suicide in March 2010.
Named after iconic Australian wildlife campaigner Steve Irwin, the kangaroo had hopped into a fence and paralyzed himself, the Broken Arrow Ledger reported.
In the year since then, Carr has devoted her life to the brain-injured kangaroo - dressing Irwin in clothes, transporting him in a child's car seat, changing his diaper and undertaking physical therapy.
The kangaroo, which weighs 11.3 kilograms, has been certified as a therapy pet under the Americans with Disabilities Act, but for Carr to take him to events and fund-raisers Irwin must have a legal residence.
However, Broken Arrow City Council does not allow wild and exotic animals within city limits, forcing Carr to seek an exemption.
City Attorney Beth Ann Wilkening recommended councilors not approve the application, citing the danger of a "kangaroo's six-foot [1.8 meter] vertical jump, speed, powerful legs, sharp claws and natural aggressive instincts."
Irwin's veterinarian, Dr. Lesleigh Cash, argued in a letter to the council that the animal's injuries and relationship with Carr made him far from normal and would "most likely continue to be docile and friendly."
Carr, in tears, told the council that they have a special bond. "He honestly thinks I am his mother," she said.
"He's done so much for me. He has brought me so much joy that I don't think that's something I'm not supposed to share with people. I think that might be what we're supposed to do and I think because of the timing and what I was going through that God brought us together," she added.
A Facebook page was launched for the kangaroo, which has more than 1000 friends Saturday.
Councilors will vote April 19 on the exemption application.
