A child asked for a license for a pet unicorn. Los Angeles County officials granted her one.

A child in California asked her local animal control department if she could get approval for a unique pet — a unicorn. 

The child, named Madeline, sent a handwritten letter to County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control, which they posted on Facebook. 

Madeline asked for approval to keep a unicorn in her backyard, if she could find one. She asked if the department could please send her a response letter, and they did that and more. 

They sent her a pre-approved unicorn license — but knowing the mystical creature might be hard to find, they also gave her a unicorn stuffed animal, with a heart-shaped pink license attached to its collar. 

"It is always rewarding to hear from young people who thoughtfully consider the requirements of providing a loving home to animals," the department's director, Marcia Mayeda, wrote in the reply letter. "I commend your sense of responsible pet ownership to seek permission in advance to keep a pet unicorn in Los Angeles County."

While Madeline easily won approval for her unicorn, the license does come with some rules.  

"The unicorn must be cared for in compliance with all animal caretaking regulations set forth in Los Angeles County Code Title 10," the letter reads. The unicorn must also have "regular access to sunlight, moonbeams and rainbows," and be fed watermelon, apparently its favorite treat, once a week. 

The department also said the unicorn's horn must be polished regularly to maintain good health. And, since unicorns and sparkles naturally go together, the department said any glitter used "must be nontoxic and biodegradable to ensure the unicorn's good health."