OREGON CITY (AP) — The legal battle over a 7-year-old deer named Snowball has cost the state of Oregon more than $86,000 so far.

The Molalla couple who found the doe with rare white fur and paid veterinary costs to fix her deformed legs are suing the state for defamation, saying their reputation was damaged by being called lawbreakers.

Attorneys for the state and for Jim Filipetti and Francesca Mantei agree that even if they were cited for adopting a wild animal without a permit, they would not be prosecuted.

A judge has ordered Snowball returned to the couple, but the state appealed. The deer is being kept at a Wildlife Safari petting zoo near Roseburg.

But legal bills will keep piling up during settlement talks and a custody appeal.