The initial goal was to return the little deer as soon as possible to the wild. But the deer, and the couple it adopted, did not seem to want that to occur. What ensued was a relationship that not only amazed and helped one North Carolina mountain couple, but had an impact on much of the community where they live.
Mimi the Deer
Mimi had a knack for fitting in with everyone she met – from humans to the dogs who lived with Cheryl and Dennis Moretz at the Linville Ridge community.
Cheryl Moretz of Linville, N.C. was well aware of “the other woman.” She knew Mimi loved her husband, Dennis, in a rare, unconditional way. Not only did Cheryl approve of the “love affair,” she also welcomed Mimi into the family.
“Looking into Mimi’s eyes was like looking into the eyes of God,” says Cheryl. “I think Mimi had a purpose and the ability to heal the human heart.”
Mimi, you see, wasn’t human – but a deer that came into the Moretzes’ lives when she was struggling to survive. When Dennis, who grew up on a farm near Boone, N.C., found out his brother, Ernest, had rescued a starving baby deer from his pastures, he jumped in to help. He had raised many different species of animals throughout his life and he knew he could help the young deer gain strength and return to the wild.
“My ultimate goal,” explains Dennis, “was to readapt her back to nature. “
The hearts of Dennis and Cheryl melted the first time they saw the baby deer. She still had her spots and weighed a mere six pounds. They transported her to their home in Linville Ridge where they bottle-fed her and nurtured her as if she were one of their own. She was even readily accepted into the fold by the couple’s two beagles: Beagie and Bagel.
Life Throws a Curve Ball
Shortly after Mimi arrived in Linville in May 2010, Dennis fell ill and received a devastating diagnosis from his doctors. A virus was attacking his heart and he needed to stop working – he’s the owner of Moretz Construction Company in Boone – and enter a treatment program.
Mimi the Deer
Dennis Moretz: “When the doctors told me to slow down, get healthy and get in shape, this little deer became my focus and my teammate.”
Man and deer exchanged responsibilities while continuing their growing bond. Dennis had been nursing Mimi to health and now it was her turn to work her magic on him. She also comforted Cheryl, who spiraled into waves of depression after her husband’s diagnosis.
“After Dennis became so ill, she never left his side,” says Cheryl. “She would come up on the deck and lick the back of his neck or head. She would also come and lick my neck when I was crying.”
“There’s nothing more calming than a little deer licking your hand, “says Dennis.
As Dennis began his recovery, he would take long walks with Mimi close beside him. Their daily walking pattern didn’t go unnoticed. Other residents began looking for the duo and even scheduled time to bring their grandchildren to spots along their path to see Mimi up close. Mimi would greet the kids and even allow them to touch her.
Living Between Worlds
Dennis carefully trained Mimi in a way to allow her to survive on her own in the woods, and she was free to roam and play with other deer. Mimi, however, preferred to stay close to their home.
She would follow them around the house at night to stand outside the bathroom while they showered or to hear them tell her goodnight from their bedroom. Then Mimi would retreat to a spot under a laurel bush above a waterfall on their property, where she would sleep and be within earshot to hear Dennis and Cheryl when they got up for the day. Mimi would run down to the deck and greet them.
“When she would smell a coyote in the area, she would hit her hoof into our bedroom window while we were sleeping,” says Dennis. “She would let us know there was danger there.”
Mimi the Deer
Mimi the deer nuzzles the neck of Cheryl Moretz. Cheryl says those deer kisses pulled her out of deep depression during her husband’s illness.
On other occasions, when Mimi wanted company or to play, she would use her head to knock into the front door and let them know she was there.
Mimi loved to play and enjoyed when Dennis would wet her with the garden hose. “She’d play and jump in the water, then shake herself off. But the most hilarious thing was watching her play on the golf course with our beagles,” he says. “She’d run up to the dogs, take her hoof and whack them to get them to chase her. Then she would chase them.”
Mimi also socialized with her own kind, but it was almost as if she identified more easily with humans.
“She lived between the world of deer and humans,” says Cheryl. “She loved us because we raised her. I believe she knew we were not the same as her, but she wanted to take care of us and other humans.”
An Angel in a Deer’s Body
Dennis’s treatment included frequent trips to Duke University. The couple had a friend stay in their house to care for Mimi and the dogs. Mimi would wait patiently during the trips, but the moment she heard the sound of his truck in the driveway, she would run to Dennis and shower him with “kisses.”
“When the doctors told me to slow down, get healthy and get in shape, this little deer became my focus and my teammate,” says Dennis. “She was fighting to survive in a totally different environment than she normally would be in. I related to that a lot. I thought if this little deer can adapt herself, then I can do it too. I felt like I needed to take care of Mimi and that gave me something to do.”
Cheryl laughs at the memory of how often Mimi would lick Dennis’s head. She worked in upward strokes that left his hair standing straight up. “He would look like Don King.”
There were many moments of laughter and fun with Mimi as the months rolled by. The joy she brought lifted their spirits and pulled them through the upsetting diagnosis.
Mimi the Deer
The little deer was consistently affectionate with both the Moretzes and the children she met in their community.
In December 2011, Dennis once again made the trek to Duke University and this time rejoiced in good news from his doctors. His recovery was going well and the couple returned to Linville with a renewed sense of optimism. They spent a joyous evening playing with Mimi and telling her about the good news, something she certainly must have sensed.
On this week in December, Dennis did something he’d never done before. He tied a scarf around Mimi’s neck, put there to protect her from hunters. He hoped that if they caught her in their crosshairs, they would see the scarf and respect her.
It was the scarf, however, that allowed Dennis and Cheryl to show their beloved deer respect by burying her on their property. She lies beside her pal Beagie, who passed shortly before she did.
Maintenance workers discovered Mimi’s body on N.C. 184 near the side gate to their development on December 12. When they saw the scarf, they knew it was Mimi and took her to the Moretzes.
“She died during the week of heavy mating season,” Cheryl says softly. “Another deer also died that night. We’re not sure if the bucks were running them or not because she always slept where she could hear or see us. Dennis and I feel she was running from something.”
Love Knows No Boundaries
The story of Mimi does not end with her death. She continues to inspire not only Dennis and Cheryl, but many other residents who came to know her at Linville Ridge, as well as those who learn of her story and her spirit.
In the weeks after Mimi died, the volume of cards and calls Dennis and Cheryl received from their neighbors amazed them. They heard story after story about how Mimi had spent time healing some of their own hurts and heartaches. One woman had just lost her husband and Mimi walked with her and provided comfort. Others had other concerns and Mimi just seemed to know and would appear and spend time with them.
“So many people told how Mimi walked with them and healed their hearts,” says Cheryl. “She made a difference in this community. It’s as if her life had a special purpose. She was such a gentle spirit.”
Even the maintenance workers confided to Dennis there had not been a dry eye in their office for days after her passing. All of the workers had gotten to know Mimi while they were out mowing the golf course or taking care of other work, and she had won them as friends.
“She interacted with humans better than her own kind,” says Dennis. “I didn’t want to domesticate her, but a human saved her so she tried to pay it back. You might say we saved Mimi, but the truth of the matter is that Mimi saved us.
“Some statues of the Buddha have a deer lying by his feet,” he continues. “He called the deer the protector of the forest. For the Native American Indians, the deer was the symbol of love. I’ve had other animals, but I’ve never had one that loved me as much as this little deer did.”
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