New Hampshire lawmakers want to avoid P'Nut the squirrel repeat
It follows widespread outrage at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for seizing and euthanizing P'Nut the Squirrel, the beloved pet of a New York man, last year. The NYSDEC also confiscated and euthanized the man's raccoon, Fred.
House Bill 251 would allow gray squirrels, which P'Nut was, and raccoons to be kept as pets without the need for a permit with a caveat.
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'If a wildlife rehabilitation facility makes the determination that the animal cannot survive in the wild and such animal is up to date on any vaccines required,' the bill reads.
The bill, if passed, would also not allow the confiscation or euthanization of the animals unless permission from the owner was given.
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However, there are concerns that the measure would increase the possibility of rabies transmission.
According to the New Hampshire Bulletin, the chief of the Fish and Game Department's wildlife division said the agency is unapproving the legislation.
'The bill references that a squirrel or raccoon would have to have any required vaccinations,' Dan Bergeron, the division chief, said.
'There are no statutes that we have that require vaccinations for either of these animals, and one of the main reasons for that is because there are no approved vaccines for these animals because they are wild animals,' he added.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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