I mean owning wild animals without a permit is a crime too. Dude wasn't even taking Peanut to the vet cause he, get this, didn't have a permit.
The problem is the other way around you should be able to visit the vet with a rescue animal regardless of a permit. And a permit for a squirrel is idiotic.
That was a shit story and that department was 100% out of line. but I don't think it was the police doing anything but helping a department with a search warrant.
At first I felt bad then I realized the guy had that squirrel for 7 years and never got a permit or anything. Bro come on how do you not get the paperwork for an animal that you make a living off.
The department wasn't out of line. You can't just take in wild animals without a permit or telling anyone. And once peanut bit the officer they had no choice. Brain tissue is the only fast way to test for rabies. It was that or risk the officer drying. I sure wouldn't take the "owner's" word and risk my life.
Anyways, peanuts owner was a shit head who got peanut killed
The question is why you need a permit in the first place for a animal that lives close to humans anyway, the raccoon thing I was made aware of is another story but would also have been better handled with talking to him.
Because it is a wild animal that can carry rabies.
The way it played out is the squirrel bit someone. The only way to check for rabies and be 100% certain is to cut the brain. Which obviously doesn't lead to the animal being alive anymore. But at the end of the day, a squirrel's life is less important than that of a human, so it had to be done.
Squirrels tend not to be vectors for rabies. I got shredded by a squirrel my cat brought in that I thought was dead. The doctor shrugged me off and sent me home with some antibiotics.
Squirrels don't consume rabies vectors, so they'd have to be bitten by a bat with rabies first if they have it.
Exactly and you can Also just get the treatment for rabies without the need to know if there even was exposure, its just a immunization with 3 vaccines and for a animal control officer, THEY SHOULD HAVE THAT BEFORE STARTING TO WORK!
Devil's advocate. The "owner" of peanut was taking in wild animals without permits. Never bothered to even try.. They find peanut who bites an officer. Now that officer can just take this weird dude's word that peanut is not rabid, or he can wait till he's symptomatic, at which point he's dead. The only fast way to test for rabies is with brain tissue. It was either kill peanut or risk the officer drying of rabies.
Blame it all on the people who took in a wild animal without telling anyone and then exploited him for views
Don't they usually just administer the rabies vaccine anyways just in case? As I understand it, even with the testing they'll give the first dose because there can be bad effects if they wait for the test results before then.
Wtf.
If the rest of those turned their crimes into social media hustles, the cops would have a much easier time.
Context?
Guy had a squirrel that he cared for after it was injured and kept as a pet because when he (allegedly) tried to release the squirrel it turned up at his door sometime later injured again. (Brief recollection the story is online)
Anyway the city found out and confiscated (right word?) it because owning wild animals is illegal and euthanized it to test for rabies.
Edit: as other have pointed out, the squirell also apparently bit a police officer.
Yes, euthanization is necessary to test for rabies because rabies is freakishly good at staying under the radar until it's too late. That's why you need to keep your pets' shots up to date.
kept as a pet because when he (allegedly) tried to release the squirrel it turned up at his door sometime later injured again
My friend's dad cut a tree down in their yard that had a squirrel nest in it. He didn't know about the nest when he cut the tree down. Unfortunately the mom died when the tree was felled, and the babies couldn't survive on their own. My friend's family bottle fed the babies and raised them until they were old enough to be released. The squirrels never left. They'd run around in the trees and stuff, but they'd come back to the house, wanting to go to tier little beds at night, and get free nuts and stuff. They'd also tear around the house if the weather wasn't good that day. So, I completely believe that the squirrel came back after being released.
Edit: before the NYC animal department gets any bright ideas, this was 20 years ago, and in a completely different State.
You miss the fact that they confiscated it, then it bit someone, then they tested it for rabies.
I wish I could've butchered peanut myself :D fuck that squirrel
Be careful with all that edge, you might cut something useful.
It's an edge that makes conservatives upset so it's ok :3
