Sabrina the flying squirrel has been allowed permanent residency in Canada after a government order to deport her — which made made headlines around the world last year — was reversed this week.
“I think justice got done,” Clayton Ruby, a high-profile Toronto lawyer who led a campaign to change Canada’s policy on importing squirrels and other banned rodents, said Friday.
“They’ve passed regulation which says this will not happen again.”
Naturalist Steve Patterson bought the squirrel legally in the United States last year and brought it to Canada to use for children’s nature studies. Sabrina’s entry into the country was eased by a customs blunder at the U.S. border.
On discovering the mistake, the Canadian government said the animal had to be sent back to the United States, citing a 2003 ban on importing rodents that was brought in after a monkeypox outbreak south of the border.
“I cleared customs. I did everything above board and so everything would be all right, I thought,” Patterson said.
“My only recourse was to deny what they wanted, which was Sabrina out of the country. What else can you do? Give up? I don’t think so.”
Canada’s Health of Animals Act was changed in November 2004 to allow for the importation of animals such as Sabrina for ”educational purposes”.
But Ottawa still filed a lawsuit against Patterson, lost, and appealed, before settling the case this week.
And Sabrina?
“Oblivious to the whole thing,” said Patterson. “Poor little innocent squirrel. You just don’t treat people like that. Or animals.”