6-year-old in US wanted to own a unicorn, gets license: 'If I can find one...'

In a heart-warming response, a six-year-old was granted an “official license” to “own a unicorn” after she wrote a handwritten letter to the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control last month. Identified as Madeline, she requested the authorities' approval to own the mythical creature. “Dear LA County, 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,” she wrote in her letter.

Director of Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control Marcia Mayeda responded to the six-year-old. “It is always rewarding to hear from young people who thoughtfully consider the requirements of providing a loving home to animals,” she wrote back to Madeline - along with an official ‘pre-approved unicorn license’.

The department also mentioned some conditions. The unicorn must be cared for in compliance with all animal caretaking regulations, it said, adding that the unicorn "must be given regular access to sunlight, moonbeams, and rainbows," and it must be fed to one of its favourite treats - watermelon - at least once a week. It also stated that the mythical creature's horn must be polished at least once a month with a soft cloth and that “any sparkles or glitter used on the unicorn must be nontoxic and biodegradable to ensure the animal's good health.”

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The department also sent Madeline a heart-shaped metal tag with "Permanent Unicorn License" written on it, along with a white fuzzy stuffed unicorn toy.

The department shared the details in a Facebook post. “This brought us so much JOY so we thought we should share with everyone. Madeline wrote us a letter requesting permission to have a unicorn in her backyard if she could find one. It is always rewarding to hear from young people who thoughtfully consider the requirements of providing a loving home to animals.”

“We commend Madeline’s sense of responsible pet ownership to seek permission in advance to keep a unicorn in Los Angeles County. As a result, we issued her a preapproved unicorn license. Also, in the meantime, because they are indeed very rare to find, we will be providing her the unicorn pictured below as she continues her search. Thank you Madeline for reaching out to our department. Why, yes – we DO license unicorns!” it said.

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Meanwhile, several internet users have praised the department for their heart-warming response. “This made my heart melt,” wrote one user. Another mentioned: “I love this. I am happy to see that we can take a few minutes out of our busy day to make a child's dream come true.”