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Can't have a squirrel because it might spread disease, but you can send your unvaccinated child to school.
this post was submitted on 02 Nov 2024
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Somebody else commented they euthanized peanut. Like, I'm ALL for vaccinations, but maybe take the metaphor not that far
Was it an indoor/outdoor squirrel, or indoor only? How is it any different from rats, mice, gerbils, guinea pigs, chinchillas, sugar gliders, or any other rodent you're allowed to keep? Hell how is it much different than a cat? I have cats and you're not taking them because "they could spread disease," I'll defend them with my life.
And he's already been euthanized. Good job protecting wildlife.
You can have interesting, illegal, pets or you can publicize your life. Poor decision making on the owner's part.
Agreed. But it's also shitty to take the animal "for its safety" and then just kill it.
It's not for it's safety, it's so it doesn't spread any diseases. It sucks, but it's not a pet and the guy who captured that poor thing is completely at fault here.
it was an entirely indoor pet, as he had it since it was a baby. he tried releasing it, but the squirrel came back to his porch, injured, and seeking help.
in another thread someone mentioned he had it for 7 years. 7 years of being indoors, rabies was never a concern, and yet they still took him. not to mention the man runs an animal sanctuary, and is no stranger to caring for animals.
cruelty was the point.
As it always is when cops are involved.
Don’t think he had it for seven years.
Peanut had been living with owner Mark Longo for seven years, since Longo said he saw Peanut's mother get hit by a car in New York City.
literally took 2 minutes to find. glad you are commenting with your feelings though, very constructive.
Nah. The assholes that killed it are.
Welcome to government beurocracy.
Seems like a good use of taxpayer money.
Cops always are.
FFS, people. Take the fucking training wheels off already. Here: /s 🤦🏽♂️
Here you dropped this "/s"
The officers left with Peanut, who amassed hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram, TikTok and other platforms ...
i know i'm getting old when i see things like this and my gut reaction is a conspiracy theory; in this case i think that tiktok and peanut's rising popular was the culprit since our oligarchs have banned tiktok and manufactured public consent for doing so.
and as a life long pet guardian; i feel so sorry for this guy. i hope that he can recover.
in this case i think that tiktok and peanut's rising popular was the culprit
… yeah, that’s how wildlife officials became aware of the situation. They aren’t remotely monitoring every squirrel.
And don’t feel too bad for him, he isn’t putting the squirrel’s welfare first at all:
Longo brought Peanut home and cared for him for eight months before trying to release the squirrel into the great outdoors. “A day and a half later I found him sitting on my porch missing half of his tail with his bone sticking out,” Longo said.
A fucking bone sticking out and he didn’t even try to get the squirrel veterinary care, because it would have meant the squirrel was taken away. No vet is going to let someone without a rehabilitation license walk out with a wild animal they’re not competent to care for. And having a Really Cool Pet was just more important than, again, a BONE being exposed to the air.
I think you misread, he tried to do the "right thing" and release the squirrel back into the wild which resulted in the squirrel getting injured and coming back to him for help.
He didn't seek veterinary assistance because often euthanization is the outcome. Personally were I a squirrel I would prefer substandard medical care over execution...
I didn’t misread anything; keeping a juvenile squirrel you’re not qualified to care for and just plopping it outside after a few months is naturally going to fail.
After getting injured in a situation it was completely unequipped to handle, it returned to the only steady source of food and protection it recognized. This person then proceeded to get it zero medical care. Why should anyone who thinks it’s acceptable to leave an animal with a fucking bone sticking out of its body be trusted with the welfare of that animal?
Wildlife officials don’t resort to euthanasia every time a squirrel comes in. They want to be able to release it back into the wild, that’s the ideal resolution. Keeping that squirrel yourself because you want a quirky pet for internet attention basically guarantees they’ll get put down after they’ve lost their fear of people and have no survival skills.
Tl;dr: if you want a squirrel that badly, get the education and certification you need to actually understand how to take care of them. Otherwise you’re just going to fuck them up.
keeping a juvenile squirrel you’re not qualified to care for and just plopping it outside after a few months is naturally going to fail.
Yes, but the squirrel was kept because the owner killed their mother with a car on accident. This is not a case of "wanting a pet squirrel so badly" but trying to rectify a tragic accident.
This person then proceeded to get it zero medical care.
Professional medical care == medical care. Treating that sort of injury requires some training, but it's a far cry from the extensive and critical medical procedure you're trying to sell it as.
They want to be able to release it back into the wild, that’s the ideal resolution.
A juvenile squirrel without a mother to learn from doesn't have a way to learn those survival skills without human intervention which will result in "lost their fear of people".
get the education and certification you need to actually understand how to take care of them.
What education and certifications would those be?
Yes, but the squirrel was kept because the owner killed their mother with a car on accident. This is not a case of "wanting a pet squirrel so badly" but trying to rectify a tragic accident.
Trying to rectify a tragic accident is getting the squirrel to a rehabber. He wanted a pet squirrel.
Professional medical care == medical care. Treating that sort of injury requires some training, but it's a far cry from the extensive and critical medical procedure you're trying to sell it as.
A tail is part of an animal’s spine, not an accessory. Go find a vet that thinks any exposed bone, much less an exposed tail bone, is something you can bandage at home and forget about.
A juvenile squirrel without a mother to learn from doesn't have a way to learn those survival skills without human intervention which will result in "lost their fear of people".
Rehabbers use techniques to keep animals from becoming habituated to humans and maintain their wild instincts, mainly keeping them away from humans as much as possible and not treating them as pets like this guy did.
What education and certifications would those be?
Varies by state, but they’re certified on the state level and it usually requires at least a few years of college.
Animals aren’t toys for people to keep and play with if they really, really want to.
Then you call a rehabbed not raise it yourself.
I think the story is BS anyway.
Recover? I thought they euthanized him.
i was referring to the person who had his pets taken away and i meant emotionally; the article states that the agency woudn't comment on whether or not the squirrel was euthanized.
Bruh it's a squirrel in North America. Wtf they have to go and kill it. Not like like it was like the gator in the bottom of the article. It posed no more danger for rabies than any other mammal.
Why is there a law saying you can't keep wildlife? How the fuck do you think we got dogs in the first place?! I'm domesticating a bear at home and there's nothing you can do to stop me!
If you're really keen to try this, maybe try a less destructive approach like playing Pokemon? They even evolve within your lifetime so you can enjoy the fruits of your labour!
just keep pet fruit flies, you can even play god with their genome and witness the horrors of your creation, and that's science!
Because they don’t want people catching wildlife for pets.
Just get a license first and you're fine
he was trying to get a licence for the squirrel as an educational pet, due to its' unique personality, and because he was so public with it.