New Jersey woman fighting charge for taking care of abandoned baby squirrels

HOWELL, N.J., Jan. 15 (UPI) -- A New Jersey woman who took care of two abandoned baby squirrels for four months said they were seized by wildlife officials and she is now facing hefty fines.

Maria Vaccarella of Howell said she started caring for an injured squirrel that fell out of a tree in her neighborhood during the Fourth of July weekend last year, and the squirrel left behind a pair of newborns when she escaped from her outdoor cage days later.

"We left the babies in the cage outside for 24 hours. [The mother] never came back. I brought them in, kept them warm, bottle fed them," Vaccarella told WABC-TV.

Vaccarella said she contacted registered wildlife rehabilitators, but couldn't find anyone with room for the babies, which she dubbed George and Lola.

Vaccarella said she and her families took care of George and Lola for four months, until New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife officers came to her door Oct. 31.

She said the officers told her they had seen pictures of the squirrels she posted online.

"They said they saw a picture on Facebook and asked me if I had squirrels. I said yes. I had no problem telling them the story. I was proud," Vaccarella said. "They said I could not have them, that they had to be rehabilitated. I complied. I said no problem."

Vaccarella said she handed over the squirrels and considered the matter complete -- until a $500 ticket arrived in the mail days later. The ticket accused Vaccarella of "possession of captive game animals."

"I think it's absurd, it's ridiculous.  I wasn't hurting anybody," she told cable network News 12 New Jersey. "I didn't abuse an animal.  I was helping them."

Vaccarella pleaded not guilty to the charge on the ticket last week. She said the judge told her she could face a fine of up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail.

She said she doesn't know what the state did with George and Lola after they were seized.

"I do miss them," she wrote on Facebook. "It breaks my heart not knowing [what] happened to them."