LA County grants 6-year-old girl a ‘unicorn license’ after she wrote them a sweet letter

‘Tis the season for granting wishes and this year it’s not just moms who are making holiday magic come to life.

A tweet showcasing a 6-year-old’s letter to the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control recently went viral for the most precious reason. TODAY reports that the little girl very humbly asked the county if they would give her permission to house a unicorn in her backyard—if she can “find one” that is.

The child is only identified by her first name, Madeline. Her adorable handwriting is shown in the photo of her letter which is dated November 14.

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. —Madeline”

The LA County Department of Animal Care and Control did not let her (or us) down with their amazing response. They titled their own letter, “Unicorn Licensing” and wrote the following:

“I am pleased to tell you that the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control does license unicorns.”

Of course pet-proofing isn’t so clear-cut when it comes to a unicorn so they had a few conditions that they outlined.

1. The unicorn must be cared for in compliance with all animal caretaking regulations set forth in Los Angeles County Code Title 10.

2. The unicorn is given regular access to sunlight, moonbeams, and rainbows.

3. The unicorn is fed one of its favorite treats — watermelon — at least once each week.

4. The unicorn’s horn must be maintained to be in good health. This requires polishing at least once a month with a soft cloth.

5. Any sparkles or glitter used on the unicorn must be nontoxic and biodegradable to ensure the unicorn’s good health.

The letter, which was written by director, Marcia Mayeda, continued, “It is always rewarding to hear from young people who thoughtfully consider the requirements of providing a loving home to animals. I commend your sense of responsible pet ownership to seek permission in advance to keep a unicorn in Los Angeles County.”

The list’s inclusion of “moonbeams” wins all of the points in my book because what unicorn doesn’t need their moonbeams? Hats off to the director for such a thoughtful letter that lets Madeline keep her sparkling innocence and mentions an environmentally safe route for unicorn maintenance. But, that’s not all she wrote.

“Enclosed is a preapproved unicorn license for when you can find one,” she added. “In the meantime, because they are indeed very rare to find, we hope you will enjoy this enclosed unicorn with our compliments and appreciation for reaching out to our department.”

Mayeda spoke to TODAY about Madeline’s letter and said, “We had so much fun with it. My secretary saw it too and we both agreed — we have to do something for this girl.”

“It means something to kids when adults take them seriously and answer their letters,” she continued.

Her team wanted to reward Madeline for the way she handled her request but they never expected the special moment to go viral, she said.

“We see a lot of bad things that happen to animals, bad things that happen to people from animals, (and) we deal with animal cruelty and abandonment,” Mayeda said. “So when we get a letter like this, it’s so uplifting. Our whole department has been on cloud nine since we got the letter.”

December 16 marks Madeline’s birthday. She’ll turn 7 years old and will go on a trip to her local animal shelter center. And who will be waiting for her there? Mayeda and her new pet unicorn.

If there’s a sign up sheet somewhere for getting an LA county unicorn license, sign me up!