Squirrels don't get rabies. Nor do other squirrel family species such as chipmunks and woodchucks.

As Wikipedia states, "Rodents are very rarely infected with rabies."

Squirrels are rodents.

In January 2022, the last time New York State posted rabies statistics for public viewing, of the 221 animals tested, only 12 tested positive for rabies. That was for the entire state less New York City which keeps its own records.

The breakdown is posted by county, and here in Herkimer county where I live, 2 cats were tested and both proved negative. Herkimer County covers ground that runs from West Winfield, south of the Mohawk Valley, well beyond Old Forge, in the Adirondack Mountains, which is quite a range of varied terrain.

In neighboring Oneida County, 4 animals were tested and 1 rabid raccoon was found.

There are no categories on the DEC spread sheet for squirrels, chipmunks, woodchucks, or rodents of any kind. They are not usually tested because, as Wikipedia states, "Rodents are very rarely infected with rabies."

Now, there are certain telltale signs that are displayed by rabid animals.

According to the Oneida County's Health Department,

"Signs of rabies include:

"Animal acting strangely

"Animal acting mad

"Animal acting shy

"Animal getting unusually close

"Drooling or foaming from the mouth"

Peanut displayed none of these, except for being unusually close as a family pet.

Furthermore, Peanut was a house pet, as was Fred the racoon, and they did not have contact with potential rabies carriers, outdoors, of which there were probably none.

Neither Peanut nor Fred showed any signs of rabies, and if there was any REAL concern, they could have simply been quarantined for a time.

So to kill them was not only an act of cruelty toward Peanut and Fred, it was an act of terror against their owners.

While we're at it, here is a little more about rabies in New York State.

Rabies was never a big problem in New York, particularly upstate, and during the 1960's when our family went camping in the Adirondacks, our dog needed the vaccine because proof of rabies vaccination was required to camp at New York State and Conservation Parks. I believe that at that time the rabies vaccine used was good for seven years.

It wasn't until the 1990's, when there was suddenly an uptick in rabies cases in the state, that laws were passed requiring all dogs, cats, and ferrets over six months old to be vaccinated against rabies on a schedule of a vaccination the first and second year followed by one every three years after that.

I have long felt that the cold weather in New York, particularly upstate, worked against rabies since infected animals would die off during the winter when many of them were less active or inactive with limited contact among them so that it never could really spread.

Now here is my long held conspiracy theory about rabies in New York State:

Could rabies have been vectored into the state so that manufacturers, that is big pharma, could profit from the enforced sale of their products, and on a regular schedule for regular and reliable profits?

--Skyhoop