squirrelygirl15
12-08-2011, 08:02 PM
I have been a state licensed small mammal rehabber for the past several years, and I have an experience I wanted to share with other rehabbers or those considering rehabbing.
I live in a small town in North Carolina, a historic district in fact, that had an ordinance that allowed its residents to shoot squirrels with the permission of the chief of police. My neighbor is a life-long resident of this town, and I am a transplant from New York. Three years ago, this neighbor shot a squirrel off of the power lines right in front of me with a .22. Long story short, the squirrel died in my arms, and I had no recourse because he was within the law - he had his permit. My husband and I called the town manager to complain about the ordinance and then decided to put our home on the market. Several days later, our town manager told us that the ordinance was being removed from the books, and no one would ever be issued a permit to discharge firearms within town limits ever again. So we decided to stay in our home we have two children.
I went on rehabbing squirrels and putting them on my porch in cages, taking them in at night when they were smaller and leaving larger, more ready squirrels in outside cages in my back yard before moving them to pre-release cages off of our property - I did not release squirrels on my property knowing my neighbor’s feelings toward them. Of course the squirrels in rehab attracted wild squirrels which I fed, and I also filled my bird feeder daily for the birds mostly. About a month ago, while sitting at my dining room table eating lunch, I saw a squirrel tumbling and flipping across this neighbor’s front yard. Again I ran out, and again this squirrel was shot. Thankfully, my husband was home and while I tended to the squirrel (which died) he called the police. Again my neighbor was within the law, he managed to get a permit (the town manager never removed the ordinance). On top of that, she and the police chief re-issued this permit to this neighbor with the stipulation that he not shoot when I was home, so this neighbor spent months stalking me so he could shoot them. Why he shot when my husband and I were home in the middle of the day is still a mystery. Knowing that someone watched you come and go is beyond creepy.
After weeks of stress and dealing with the small town council, the ordinance to discharge firearms within city limits is now abolished - mostly because the Council found that the town’s insurance company would not cover any lawsuit brought on by any accidental shootings. However, our esteemed police chief and town manager have now given my neighbor traps so that he can trap these squirrels. Please know that we have very few at this point, but I am sure that the few that reside here will not be here long. The police and town manager are now telling us they cannot control this neighbor’s behavior, and that he has every right to remove the animals from his yard. I took in my bird feeder and have no squirrels in my care any more so I am not drawing any animals at all.
My neighbor has decided to place his trap right within my view. Our homes are very close together, and if by chance a squirrel ends up in a trap, I will hear it and probably see it, but I cannot trespass to help it. I called NC Wildlife this afternoon (today was the first day my neighbor put out a trap) and they are going to come tomorrow to access the situation, but since NC does not recommend relocating squirrels, any animals trapped will be euthanized. A Depredation Permit is needed to relocate any animals in NC, but surely my neighbor is not going to bother, nor will he remove them to a place where they can prosper. He is now directing his anger toward me, and is going to make me pay by trapping these squirrels right in front of me, for taking his right to shoot animals on his property away.
I am amazingly ill over this, and I can no longer live in my home. My reason for writing this is to alert other rehabbers or potential rehabbers that they must check all local laws before they find themselves hurting more than helping. I have unintentionally baited an untold number of squirrels to their death, and it will undoubtedly continue until I move from here.
It is a sad but true truth, that rehabbers in North Carolina get no support. I have since given it up rehabbing, and I was the only one in this county. so who knows what is going to happen to animals come spring. This has broken my heart, and I feel amazingly helpless.
I live in a small town in North Carolina, a historic district in fact, that had an ordinance that allowed its residents to shoot squirrels with the permission of the chief of police. My neighbor is a life-long resident of this town, and I am a transplant from New York. Three years ago, this neighbor shot a squirrel off of the power lines right in front of me with a .22. Long story short, the squirrel died in my arms, and I had no recourse because he was within the law - he had his permit. My husband and I called the town manager to complain about the ordinance and then decided to put our home on the market. Several days later, our town manager told us that the ordinance was being removed from the books, and no one would ever be issued a permit to discharge firearms within town limits ever again. So we decided to stay in our home we have two children.
I went on rehabbing squirrels and putting them on my porch in cages, taking them in at night when they were smaller and leaving larger, more ready squirrels in outside cages in my back yard before moving them to pre-release cages off of our property - I did not release squirrels on my property knowing my neighbor’s feelings toward them. Of course the squirrels in rehab attracted wild squirrels which I fed, and I also filled my bird feeder daily for the birds mostly. About a month ago, while sitting at my dining room table eating lunch, I saw a squirrel tumbling and flipping across this neighbor’s front yard. Again I ran out, and again this squirrel was shot. Thankfully, my husband was home and while I tended to the squirrel (which died) he called the police. Again my neighbor was within the law, he managed to get a permit (the town manager never removed the ordinance). On top of that, she and the police chief re-issued this permit to this neighbor with the stipulation that he not shoot when I was home, so this neighbor spent months stalking me so he could shoot them. Why he shot when my husband and I were home in the middle of the day is still a mystery. Knowing that someone watched you come and go is beyond creepy.
After weeks of stress and dealing with the small town council, the ordinance to discharge firearms within city limits is now abolished - mostly because the Council found that the town’s insurance company would not cover any lawsuit brought on by any accidental shootings. However, our esteemed police chief and town manager have now given my neighbor traps so that he can trap these squirrels. Please know that we have very few at this point, but I am sure that the few that reside here will not be here long. The police and town manager are now telling us they cannot control this neighbor’s behavior, and that he has every right to remove the animals from his yard. I took in my bird feeder and have no squirrels in my care any more so I am not drawing any animals at all.
My neighbor has decided to place his trap right within my view. Our homes are very close together, and if by chance a squirrel ends up in a trap, I will hear it and probably see it, but I cannot trespass to help it. I called NC Wildlife this afternoon (today was the first day my neighbor put out a trap) and they are going to come tomorrow to access the situation, but since NC does not recommend relocating squirrels, any animals trapped will be euthanized. A Depredation Permit is needed to relocate any animals in NC, but surely my neighbor is not going to bother, nor will he remove them to a place where they can prosper. He is now directing his anger toward me, and is going to make me pay by trapping these squirrels right in front of me, for taking his right to shoot animals on his property away.
I am amazingly ill over this, and I can no longer live in my home. My reason for writing this is to alert other rehabbers or potential rehabbers that they must check all local laws before they find themselves hurting more than helping. I have unintentionally baited an untold number of squirrels to their death, and it will undoubtedly continue until I move from here.
It is a sad but true truth, that rehabbers in North Carolina get no support. I have since given it up rehabbing, and I was the only one in this county. so who knows what is going to happen to animals come spring. This has broken my heart, and I feel amazingly helpless.