Limestone County Sheriff/Facebook Mickey Paulk.
Mickey Paulk, 35, is denying a police report that he fed his pet squirrel methamphetamine in order to make the animal aggressive.
The squirrel was found at a home in Athens, Alabama, on June 17, as deputies from the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant. Paulk was not at the house, but a second man, Ronnie Reynolds, was there and arrested on drug charges.
In the aftermath, Paulk took to social media to reject the idea that his squirrel was on drugs or that he used it as an attack animal. He also claims that he does not live in the apartment anymore.
Here’s what you need to know.
1. Report: Deputies Received a Tip That an ‘Attack Squirrel’ Was Inside the Home & Obtained a Search Warrant
Limestone County deputies had a warrant to search the apartment on Piney Chapel Road in Athens, Alabama, on June 17. The News Courier reported that deputies had received a tip that an “attack squirrel” was being kept inside the home and fed meth in order to make sure it remained aggressive.
Investigators found the aforementioned squirrel in a cage. They also confiscated methamphetamine, other drug paraphernalia, body armor, and ammunition.
Deputy Stephen Young told the newspaper that there did not appear to be an efficient method for testing the squirrel for drugs. They released the squirrel outside after consulting with an official from Alabama Game & Fish.
2. Mickey Paulk Denies Feeding the Squirrel Meth & Says the Animal is Just a Baby
Mickey Paulk says that he called the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office to talk about the search warrant and inform deputies that he no longer lives at the home. He has not been arrested, according to inmate records.
Paulk took to social media to further discuss the case. He recorded himself on Facebook Live on June 18 alongside his pet squirrel, which you can see in the video embedded above.
Paulk explained that the squirrel is about 10 months old and acknowledged that the animal is a “mean motherf*cker.” But he denied ever feeding the squirrel meth.
In the social media post, Paulk also argued that he should not be facing drug possession charges due to the fact that he was not in the home at the time of the search. He wrote that he has paperwork from the landlord proving that he had relocated. Paulk explained in the video that the squirrel was there because he has not yet finished moving all of his belongings out.
3. Paulk Retrieved the Squirrel From the Yard & Criticized the Deputies For Releasing the Animal
Mickey Paulk slammed law enforcement officials for deciding to release the squirrel. He sarcastically wrote, “So they let a mess addicted attack squirrel go on the public. how you like that people?”
Paulk explained that he had been taking care of the squirrel since it was born and fed it out of a baby bottle. He said his pet would never have survived on its own. “He does not know how to live in the wild. So all they really did was try to kill him.”
Paulk shared on social media that he drove over to the home after the warrant had been executed. He found the squirrel up a tree, clearly upset and scared. Paulk says the squirrel jumped down onto his shoulder after he whistled and brought it home. He added that all of the “animal lovers out there” could rest assured that the squirrel was safe and healthy, despite being a little shaken.
4. It’s Illegal to Keep a Squirrel as a Pet in Alabama
Mickey Paulk is reportedly facing potential drug charges, but he could also be charged for keeping the baby squirrel in the first place.
It is illegal to keep a squirrel as a pet in the state of Alabama. According to AL.com, Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Law Enforcement prohibit people from keeping animals including squirrel, bear, beaver, coyote, deer, opossum, rabbit, raccoon, fox, mountain lion, groundhog, bobcat, Red Wolf, and skunks as pets.
However, Alabama does not specifically ban people from owning exotic animals such as tigers.
5. The Person Inside the Home at the Time of the Search, Ronnie Reynolds, Was Arrested
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A second man named Ronnie Reynolds, 37, was present at the Piney Chapel Road apartment when deputies arrived to search it on June 17. Reynolds faces charges including drug possession and loitering at a known drug house.
Inmate records show that he was arrested by the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office. He made bond and was released.
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