11/06/2025
UPDATE: Walter Nubbins has been positively identified by ODFW as a WESTERN grey!!! His life is safe here in Oregon. ODFW just picked Mr. Nubbins up, and he is going straight to their vet. He is then moving on to Chintimini where he will be safe and rehabbed to live his best life! If I can get updates, I will post them. Thank you to everyone for the educational discussion. I learned of new resources and made new connections in the community through this effort. Now, back to the daily work of saving cats without homes, spaying and neutering appointments, feeding and litter box cleaning. We are always in need of donations to continue our work, and would love to see some new volunteers! We work hard to be here for any animal who needs us. Thanks again, neighbors!
---------
We have an interesting situation here, and are looking for community input and support. Meet Mr. Walter Nubbins. He is the Eastern Grey Squirrel that got loose in Fred Meyers on Monday. Brought in by a customer as a "pet", Mr. Nubbins is missing his tail, which has a wound at the end. I have close-ups, but it's a bit graphic. The staff at Freddy's caught him twice with the help of customers, and he was brought here.
Now for the hard part. I have contacted ODFW. Walter is an invasive species. My first option would have been to work with a wildlife rehab in Washington to get him reestablished in the wild, but without a tail and after being domestically handled, this is not an option. They asked next if we wanted to euthanize him. I asked for any other legal options. ODFW has sent me an application to hold a wild animal here for the remainder of its natural life. This includes a recapture plan, a list of supplies that we have on hand, blueprints of our enclosure and all measures taken to support the animal. This is extensive, and in the end, may not be approved.
I need internet denizens to muster their sleuthing spirit and help me find options. If we don't get the approval of ODFW, where can Walter go? I'll be doing my own research too. Let's work together and see what we can find!
If we are approved, we will need to find a vet that will work on a wild squirrel. We will need funding just for Walter. This will be a new project for us, which we will embrace with our whole heart. Mr. Nubbins is being set up with a large cage that we hope will bring him joy and security while he is with us. Right now, he is sleeping in a cat bed, curled up with a dried corn cob. I so wish I could get a camera in the crate to share what I see, but it would disturb him, and he is resting so peacefully.
Updates to come!
