Internet users praised the department for its kind and thoughtful response.
A six-year-old girl in the United States has been granted an official license to own a unicorn - only if she can find one.
The girl, identified as Madeline, wrote to the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control last month requesting official approval for her to own the mythical creature. In a handwritten letter posted to the department's Facebook page, she wrote, "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".
Take a look below:
Responding to her letter, Director Marcia Mayeda lauded the six-year-old's commitment to "responsible pet ownership". "It is always rewarding to hear from young people who thoughtfully consider the requirements of providing a loving home to animals," wrote the department.
The officials issued a "preapproved unicorn license" but with some conditions. The department's letter specified that Madeline must give her pet unicorn "regular access to sunlight, moonbeams, and rainbow".
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It stated that the mythical creature must be fed watermelon once a week and its horn must be polished at least once a month with a soft cloth. The letter also said that any sparkles or glitter used on the unicorn must be nontoxic and biodegradable to ensure the animal's good health.
The Los Angeles department went a step further as well and sent the six-year-old a heart-shaped metal tag with "Permanent Unicorn License" emblazoned on it, along with a white fuzzy stuffed unicorn toy. The officials explained that they were sending Madeline the plush unicorn doll as a placeholder because real ones "are indeed very rare to find".
"This brought us so much JOY so we thought we should share with everyone," the Los Angeles department wrote on Facebook.
Internet users were quick to react to the heartwarming post. They praised the department for its kind and thoughtful response. "This just made my morning! For you to take the time to make a little girl's request be heard is beyond priceless. You have created a core memory for her! Bravo to all of you!" wrote one user.
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"What a touching act of kindness for this little girl that now reverberates around the world! Kudos," said another. A third commented, "Awesome, what a great response to her request. She will never forget your kindness," while a fourth added, "Amazing story. Restores my faith in humanity a little bit".
The Facebook post has garnered thousands of likes and comments, and over 1,000 reshares.