Laws and Protection for Fox Squirrel

[Brooklyn]

Hi All, I'm one to worry BEFORE a problem arises, rather than wait and be dumbfounded when your faced with a dilemma.

Does anyone have an horror stories about authorities attempting to take squirrels away?

I am planning to relocate at some time in the semi-near future...has anyone been able to fly with their squirrels?

I have talked to Fish & Game and attempted to legally be permitted to keep my Fox Squirrel but (at the last minute) they scared me and I told them he was released. My vet is perfectly willing to write a letter suggesting it is best he not be released, but he is worried that this could backfire, see him confiscated and needlessly euthanized.

Is there a safe way to make a squirrel legal? Any tricks to get around this stuff?

:dono

[Brooklyn]

More pictures...This is Willow. He's 17 weeks old today!

[CritterMom]

What squirrel? I don't have a squirrel...

Yes, there HAVE been horror stories and some states seem to delight in taking and euthanizing beloved pets. So we keep our mouths shut. We network on here to find friendly vets. We don't take them out in public. No flying - you can move by vehicle.

Florida is a squirrel friendly state - you can keep as pets but need a license to release them. Be very careful with your baby.

[Nancy in New York]

CritterMom is right.
Even if you had your rehab license, your state may have different laws pertaining to keeping a NR squirrel.
In New York to keep a NR squirrel, first you must be a licensed wildlife rehabber, you need to have a vet certificate stating that in fact the squirrel is NR and for what reasons. This must be renewed once a year. Then you must also commit to bringing that squirrel around for educational purposes, to schools and such.
Your vet will not have any say in the state laws, so him providing a letter would do nothing.
Stick with people that you know, do not give out your address. Get to know them first before you trust them. If you are talking about people on this board, see how long they have been a member, ask around.
If you are talking about people that you know personally.......just be careful that they don't turn on you....:shakehead
There are some hateful people out there, so just be careful.:thumbsup
:grouphug

[Garden71]

I work for a major airline and the DO NOT ALLOW the transportation of squirrels.

This was posted on the airlines website. It's old but I think it's still in effect :dono

June 2003
THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES BANS TRANSPORTATION OF PRAIRIE DOGS, OTHER RODENTS


Due to the outbreak of monkeypox in the United States, the Department of Health and Human Services has issued an immediate ban on the transportation of the following animals:

Prairie Dogs
Tree Squirrels (Heliosciurus sp.)
Rope Squirrels (Funisciurus sp.)
Dormices (Graphiurus sp.)
Gambian Giant Pouched Rats (Cricetomys sp.)
Brush-Tailed Porcupines (Atherurus sp.)
Striped Mice (Hybomys sp.)

Sorry for the bad news...:shakehead :thumbsup
I hope you find a way to keep your little buddy Willow :thumbsup

[Brooklyn]

This is all great information guys, albeit disappointing. I would really like to do things honestly and on the up and up, but, as with many archaic laws, they create criminals of good honest people.

Thank you so much for taking the time. I'm thoroughly enjoying these boards.

[CrazySquirrelLady]

This is all great information guys, albeit disappointing. I would really like to do things honestly and on the up and up, but, as with many archaic laws, they create criminals of good honest people.

Thank you so much for taking the time. I'm thoroughly enjoying these boards.tell them it is a rat ;) shave his tail... lol


just joking ;)

or

say it is a Squirrel Dog... surely they've heard of Squirrel Dogs before? bet they've never seen a Squirrel Dog though....

so named, because of the similar looks to a regular squirrel..... ;)

[Squirrelis]

Hi Garden71 I work for a major airline as well :D
I have to say Brooklyn, in the 27 yrs I've been flying( flt attendant) I have never seen a squirrel on the plane- just the usual dog, cats, birds- so I would say drive for sure and don't take a chance with your baby- there's a lot of bad people :shakehead out there that don't understand us squirrel lovers:Love_Icon

[Brooklyn]

Sad but true. I've traveled with big cats before when working on film sets, but I have permits and all the necessary documentation. At first, when talking to Fish & Game it seemed very standard and like something that would just be an add-on to my permits, but by our third conversation (I can't explain it) an alarm bell went off very suddenly when they were asking to come see his enclosure. I had already told them several times that he has none...he lives with me FREE in the home...sleeps in my bed. I reminded him who I was and we talked about the other exotics, but something just didn't feel right. I called him back the next day and told him we released the squirrel. Creeped me out! Here I was just trying to do things right. What really gets me is the sheer number of people given permits to have a lion in a 5 X 8 cage in their yard without so much as a visit and kept in unsanitary conditions...yet a squirrel???

:soapbox

[Garden71]

Sad but true. I've traveled with big cats before when working on film sets, but I have permits and all the necessary documentation. At first, when talking to Fish & Game it seemed very standard and like something that would just be an add-on to my permits, but by our third conversation (I can't explain it) an alarm bell went off very suddenly when they were asking to come see his enclosure. I had already told them several times that he has none...he lives with me FREE in the home...sleeps in my bed. I reminded him who I was and we talked about the other exotics, but something just didn't feel right. I called him back the next day and told him we released the squirrel. Creeped me out! Here I was just trying to do things right. What really gets me is the sheer number of people given permits to have a lion in a 5 X 8 cage in their yard without so much as a visit and kept in unsanitary conditions...yet a squirrel???

:soapbox

Just don't get it :shakehead :soapbox

[LindaR]

Have the same problem here...they threatened to euthanize my Hammie because he has a mild neurological issue, heck I have MS, Reflex sympathetic dystrophy, neuropathy and fibro myalgia!!! they gonna euthanize me too???? Not happening...So hush hush!!! Sad...no compassion, I cant understand how they can sleep at night!! Here anything they deem as invasive they destroy when in reality humans are the invasive ones:poke

Truly sad that we arent able to share the beauty of our babies with others but better safe than sorry :Love_Icon

Love my baby mjs Hammie:Love_Icon :jump :grouphug :thumbsup