Originally Posted by
snakegetters
I wouldn't pass this animal on to anyone who was not prepared to give him a permanent home. Depending on the laws in the state where you live, you may NOT actually want to bring him to the attention of a licenced rehabber or anyone who is strictly operating under said laws, as the outcome could be euthanasia even if he does have the potential to live a comfortable and pain free life under private care.
Obviously if the animal is in pain or miserable, euthanasia is the humane thing to do. I don't personally support euthanasia for cases in which the animal is pain free and able to enjoy life with human assistance even if it is never fit for release, but that would be mandated by law for this animal in some states. Research the legal situation for your state before you let anyone official know that this animal even exists.
If you are prepared to give him a permanent home and a good life with your assistance, lay in all the supplies you'll need, take the time to learn about appropriate housing and nutrition, and understand that you may have to hide this animal in your home for its entire life if the legal situation is really dire in your area. Or find someone else who can undertake this responsibility. It's a big one.
It is possible that you might be awarded a permit to keep an unreleasable squirrel, but it's also possible that if you apply and fail, the animal would be taken and euthanized. You might consider applying for the permit, but either boarding the animal somewhere else during this period or finding a roadkilled dead squirrel you can stick in the freezer to present to officials when they come to take the animal. Oops, sorry officer, he already died, here's the body you can take away and dispose of in whatever legal manner you need to.
I generally try to respect wildlife laws as they are made with the welfare of the animals and the species in mind, but there are some cases in which the welfare of an individual animal is really not best served in my opinion by the existing laws.