Advice for my sweetheart!

[tazzy]

Okay, I have raised Ozzie since he was 4 weeks old last July. He was found by a family in their yard with a deformed front leg. That is all I know about him. He is now almost a year old and I want so bad to release him so that he can know freedom. At the same time, I watch him with the deformed leg and wonder if he could even defend himself and I dont want to send him out in to the firing squad. What I am wondering is if there is a squirrel sanctuary out there anywhere that he might feel some kind of freedom but yet be safe? I know...I want my cake and eat it too. Its just that he is the sweetest, smartest, most loveable guy and I dont want him to be somethings prey, but I feel like he deserves better than a cage all of his life.
Any suggestions????
:thankyou

[Nancy in New York]

Okay, I have raised Ozzie since he was 4 weeks old last July. He was found by a family in their yard with a deformed front leg. That is all I know about him. He is now almost a year old and I want so bad to release him so that he can know freedom. At the same time, I watch him with the deformed leg and wonder if he could even defend himself and I dont want to send him out in to the firing squad. What I am wondering is if there is a squirrel sanctuary out there anywhere that he might feel some kind of freedom but yet be safe? I know...I want my cake and eat it too. Its just that he is the sweetest, smartest, most loveable guy and I dont want him to be somethings prey, but I feel like he deserves better than a cage all of his life.
Any suggestions????
:thankyou

Yes there is a squirrel sanctuary....it's called Squirrel Central owned by Jackie in Tampa. As she will tell you she currently has 867 squirrels, and the ones that want it, have free roam. Others prefer to come and go from their cages, and they all have the most charmed life you can ever imagine a squirrel having. Three squares a day, fleece by the yard, toys, buddies, vets....and their freedom.
Unfortunately, Jackie is booked up until 2048.

On a serious note, can you post a video of your Ozzie's? What happened to his leg? Is there anyway that you can build a large release cage, just for the nice months so that he can be outside but safe?

[tazzy]

I will get a picture of him and post it tomorrow. I do believe that his leg is a birth defect. It is just a stub with 3 toes and no toe nails on it. He gets around great. I have a small tree in his cage and he climbs pretty well. More than anything, I worry about self defense. He's a lover not a fighter:wott
I have released Ziggy Memorial Day and Fez in July and they both spend lots of time in the back yard:) But Ziggy is a bully to other squirrels and I worry about that as well.
picture tomorrow morning!