Comments on the dilemma in the October issue: ‘Grey squirrel treatment and hand-rearing’

The dilemma in the October issue involved an injured female grey squirrel and her offspring, which were brought to your practice. While the mother had to be humanely euthanased, the question remained of what to do with the kits. A nurse was eager to hand-rear them but you were also aware that grey squirrels are considered a destructive, non-native species (In Practice, October 2012, volume 34, pp 550-551). Glen Cousquer commented that there were empirical, legal and ethical considerations to take into account when making this decision. As a profession, veterinarians had a duty to ensure that the welfare of an animal was not compromised as well as to educate the public about such ethical issues. Based on those considerations and professional priorities, he suggested that hand-rearing the squirrels and releasing them under license would be a possible way forward. However, the kits would have to be euthanased if they originated from an area with red squirrels, into which they could not be released.