ADVICE PLEASE Young with back legs paralyzed
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FACTS: I was called on Monday 4/17/2023 to come pick up a young squirrel that's back legs were paralyzed. The people who found him said he had been seen at their apartment complex for the last two weeks dragging his back legs around, but he was getting up and down trees fine so they didn't do anything, just noticed. On Monday, they found him at the bottom of a tree curled up and barely moving. They presented a large piece of bark to him and he climbed right on it. With pictures and descriptions,
I didn't think he would last much longer, so I picked him up and brought him to my house for essentially hospice care. (Corny, yes, but I don't feel anyone, even animals, should die alone if there is the opportunity not to) He was frail and dehydrated, and his back legs were pretty much worn down to the bone (not actively bleeding, but still REAL bad!) They got him some water and trail mix while they waited for me (Yes, I know, dried fruit is bad, but they only gave him what they had on hand) and he ate and drank feverishly.
Well, he surprised all of us and thrived. I was holding him in a box, so I went and got him a 36 in x 36 in rabbit cage and padded the bottom so his legs wouldn't scrape. I even went away for five days and had my 8-year-old feed him and give him water (never touching him!). Now, he is running around the cage, climbing the little bars and holding on like Tarzan, and he is back to HATING me (he hated me at first, warmed up a bit when I took care of his back legs and fed him better food) and his little legs are healing SO well (the cuts, obviously, not the paralysis). I called around to anyone I could think of (vets, animal control, rehabbers, etc) and most of their suggestions were to euthanize. He survived at least two weeks of being paralyzed in the wild and never waivered in his will to live. He is a tough little guy and to just euthanize him without exploring other options would break my heart. He is still in the cage and is doing ok, but I can tell he is not happy in there (I mean, would you be?)
THOUGHTS So, I obviously don't want him living in a cage for the rest of his life, but I also don't want him to get released and immediately killed. Additionally, the thought of him scraping up his legs more and getting an infection, and dying a painful death makes me sick to my stomach. I am in FL and can legally keep him without a permit as long as he is a "pet" (and please know, this would be a LAST CASE scenario for me, because while I am amazing, and he would be taken care of, loved, cared for by a vet...I am not a squirrel and can't give him the life he would have outside, as much as I would try) I had other thoughts, like releasing him to the tree that's in my front yard so if he stays around I can keep an eye on him, I could easily build a shelter for him in my back yard so while he would have free roam of the world, but he would have a place to come back to if needed, but I want to know, from those of you who have been in this situation before, what is the best thing for me to do? If it comes down to it and euthanizing would be the best option, I will do it, but I had to ask...Thank you for reading and any advice you can provide.
TLDR have a young squirrel with his back legs paralyzed (for at least two weeks) who didn't think was going to make it, he is thriving, but now that he is, not sure the best option for him. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you!
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