International Travel with Squirrel? Help

[jackfoster]

Hi, thanks for this resource. A little backstory on my squirrel: I lived in Florida a vet friend placed Rocky with me, he had been injured (lost his leg, rear driver side) as a baby and could not be reintroduced to the wild. He has been with me since then (I bottle fed him) he's about 8 years old. She set him up with his initial round of shots and neutered him. I am not a licensed rehabber. Since then I have moved to California where the laws regarding wild animals as pets are stricter.

Here is my problem: I am planning a trip to Mexico for about a year. I'm not sure what to do about Rocky. I have reached out to the Mexican consulate and they only regard cats and dogs as pets. Even if I am able to get Rocky across the border and into Mexico, I'm more worried about getting him then back over the border from Mexico back into California. I am very dedicated to Rocky, and I don't want to do something that would be disruptive to him, like leave him behind with a qualified care professional, I've made some initial inquiries with rehabbers in my area and they won't even board an animal they determine is unreleasable. I've looked into becoming a rehabber myself but the place I inquired with requires 400 volunteer hours which I won't be able to fulfill before I leave in Jan.

Does anyone have any experience with international travel or any suggestion on how to move forward. Is there some sort of documentation I can get the establishes me as his caregiver and will allow me to travel with him out of and back into the country? Any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Jack

[stosh2010]

Good luck with your quest. I have a few N/Rs where I live in Costa Rica, and am under the understanding that bringing them from country to country is almost impossible, unless you can prove that they are an educational, "teaching tool".
I will monitor this thread to see if you find a loop hole.
remember...
At any customs check point...the agent on duty is a GOD...all powerful...and the results of their inspections...can change from day to day.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>> how about a ROCKY photo ????

[SammysMom]

Okay, forget about traveling with Rocky/ You would be taking way too big a risk of him not getting across the border in both direction. How long will you be gone and where in CA do you live?

[LaurelLynn]

Oh geez that's a tough situation :-( I would be very hesitant and scared to travel out of the country with him and worry about him being seized

Do you have friends or relatives that could take him? Or maybe a member here is close enough to offer boarding for a year? I would be willing to help but I'm in Washington :-(

[LaurelLynn]

Okay, forget about traveling with Rocky/ You would be taking way too big a risk of him not getting across the border in both direction. How long will you be gone and where in CA do you live?

He said it's about a year in Mexico

[Trooper]

Hi Jackfoster: This is a tough one. Not much for going into Mexico but coming back. California has the most unfriendly "squirrel" attitude of all states I know, and any animal coming into the USA even if it originated from the USA, must undergo quarantine. A squirrel will most certainly be confiscated at the border, especially if you travel by plane. Now going with a car through Tijuana is a different story. I've known of people that have brought other undocumented people (kids) via car into the USA and got through. There is no car search or anything like that at the border crossing if you are an American returning home.

Please do not despair, if you are going for only a year, we can help you here (I am in CA near SFO) and would gladly babysit Rocky if you need to do that as a last resort. Let me know through a PM if you need help. Otherwise the advise given in this forum will always be a prudent, conservative and pragmatic approach to make sure your Rocky would never be hurt or taken away. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Regards,

Trooper's dad

[island rehabber]

Fantastic offer, Trooper's Dad! :bowdown :w00t

[kcassidy]

Please take Trooper up on this offer. I would be very afraid to cross the border with a squirrel. IF they do take the squirrel they will kill it, post haste!

[jackfoster]

Thanks to everyone who has replied, especially Trooper's dad. I have a friend and former roommate who has known Rocky, so there's a possibilty that she'll be able to board him while I am gone, although I'm not sure if he'll be negatively effected by my absence. He's good with people and has been around people his whole life, but I've heard differing opinions on how squirrels bond. In any case thanks for the info so far. I'll attach some pictures, he's a cutie ;)

264871

[Trooper]

Jackfoster: you do what you think is best for Rocky. Just remember we are here to help you just in case. My Trooper has bonded with me, even though both my wife and I raised him from a pinky. Yet one day when he was a juvenile, he gave my wife the most horrendous "stammering" bite (I made that word up because he bites repeatedly on the same spot and twist his head like a crocodile in order to inflict most pain and damage). So even after her getting bitten several times like that, she still loves him and he has forgotten about it and takes food from her without trouble now.

I believe squirrels, unlike elephants; do not hold a grudge. If they are mad and give you a nip becuase you're standing right next to his stash, a second later they'll be grooming your hand for affection! I wish you good luck and a happy trip to Mexico!

Trooper's dad

[stosh2010]

Jackfoster: you do what you think is best for Rocky. Just remember we are here to help you just in case. My Trooper has bonded with me, even though both my wife and I raised him from a pinky. Yet one day when he was a juvenile, he gave my wife the most horrendous "stammering" bite (I made that word up because he bites repeatedly on the same spot and twist his head like a crocodile in order to inflict most pain and damage). So even after her getting bitten several times like that, she still loves him and he has forgotten about it and takes food from her without trouble now.

I believe squirrels, unlike elephants; do not hold a grudge. If they are mad and give you a nip becuase you're standing right next to his stash, a second later they'll be grooming your hand for affection! I wish you good luck and a happy trip to Mexico!

Trooper's dad
I too have received my share of "machine gun bites".... ( rat-a tat-tat...go those incisors) and it is painful and very scary. Some on the arms---and some on the face !!! (Hence--the HELMET ) Being a squirrel LOVER , I accept, and go on cautiously.

264888264887264886 << click on pics

However...a mere friend may not be as understanding.
One serious bite attack --to an inexperienced caretaker--and your squirrel might spend the next 10 months in a cage 24/7. Just saying....

>>>>>Not all folks are squirrel folks.

[Duckman]

I am going to say what the others have said. There is a 95% change of him not making it across, and if he is caught, he will die. It's isn't worth that 5% risk. He may be negatively affected for a time, but he will remember you. I have seen squirrel being separated from their caregivers and reunited a year later and while it take a little time for them to get back to normal (a few months, in the most extreme cases) it is how he is going to react to the new caregiver that is the unknown. She might not be treated the same by Rocky, without you there. She is going to have to be cautious and realize that worst case, she will not be able to interact with Rocky the ways she does now. There is also a slight chance that he won't react to you positively though, when you get back, so you need to prepare for that, just in case. Good luck!

[lennysmom]

I totally agree with Stosh here - make sure that your friend is prepared in the event that your little guy does not take well to your absence and decides to go into attack mode at some point.
I squirrelsat a good friend's squirrel while she was gone to Germany for a month and then again about a year later when she went to Japan. The first time he did great with me but the second time, even though he knew me, he decided I was the enemy at some point and I had to "gear up" with a mask, welding gloves, a thick coat and head cover to be able to give him out of cage time. But I was willing because I am a "squirrel person" who understands the great need for a grown squirrel to have out of cage time to exercise, especially when he is used to it.

Just some food for thought as you are deciding what to do with Rocky for the year you plan to be out of the country. I hope you find a great, workable place for him.

[Trooper]

Stosh...I love your "text enhancing technique". You made me feel the pain all over again! And you are right to point out that we, whom have gotten our hearts stolen by a squirrel and never gone back to being a normal human being, will forgive and forget what they do to us becuase of that special bond and the understanding that you can take an animal out of the wild, but cannot take the wild out of the animal.

A good hearted friend trying to help with caretaking would have to have one big self-restraint pool to draw from in case he/she would get the 'stammering' effect on them. After one of those attacks it would be so easy to say "I'm outta here!"

But again, don't discourage from all the comments Jackfoster, we say what we say so you'de be informed.

Trooper's dad