CANWEST News Service - October 14, 2004 Fur flies as Liberals debate Sabrina's fate: Little squirrel sparks controversy By Anne Dawson OTTAWA -- U.S.-born Sabrina -- the flying squirrel -- caused the fur to fly in the Liberal caucus Wednesday with MP Carolyn Parrish demanding her own government call off the dogs in its pursuit of deporting the tiny creature. Parrish, who made a plea on behalf of Steve Patterson, accused the government of wasting $200,000 to appeal a case in which an Ontario judge has already denied the federal government's request to make the man give up the animal. Ottawa wants to send the squirrel back to the U.S. citing a 2003 ban on importing rodents into the country after a monkey pox outbreak south of the border last year. "I'm a pro-American squirrel lover. I'm defending an American citizen, which is Sabrina the squirrel," said Parrish, best known for calling Americans "bastards" over the U.S.-led war into Iraq. "Somebody should pull the plug on this thing and say, 'OK, we'll withdraw the appeal (so) we won't look like idiots.' " It is illegal in Canada to take an animal from the wild and keep it as a pet. So Patterson, a naturalist who lives in Parrish's Mississauga riding, bought the squirrel in Indiana after obtaining permits from both the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Ontario's Natural Resources Ministry to legally import the northern flying squirrel into the country. Patterson said he did everything by the book and even showed his permits to Customs Canada officials at the border where they allowed him through June 26. But nine days later, he received notice from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency his squirrel was imported illegally due to the 2003 ban and he had three days to remove it from the country. In fact, two CFIA officials, accompanied by two Peel Region police officers, showed up at his door July 28 demanding he hand over the rodent. Neither Patterson nor Sabrina were home. The federal government then took Patterson to court on the grounds the squirrel had entered Canada illegally, that it represents a health threat to Canadians, and that it could cause "irreparable harm." With the help of high-profile criminal defence lawyer Clayton Ruby, Patterson won the court battle hands down and the court ordered the government to pay Patterson's costs. "The government should find something better to do with our money because the evidence is that this animal is not diseased and there is clearly no risk to the Canadian public," said Ruby, who estimates the first case cost $50,000 and the appeal will cost another $150,000. Parrish said Patterson did everything by the book. In fact, she even advised him to simply tell government officials the rodent had died and he had flushed it down the toilet to put an end to the matter. But Patterson, 51, who considers himself an expert on the squirrels, says the animal has bonded with him -- most of the time it lives in his shirt pocket. He insists it is not a pet, but an educational tool. "I have a responsibility towards the health of this animal now that she has bonded to me. It would be detrimental for her to go anywhere else," said Patterson, who is suddenly in hot demand by media around the world. He said the squirrel has received a clean bill of health from vets in Canada and the U.S. and there is no chance of it, or any other squirrel, carrying the monkey pox disease. He said that fact has been confirmed by the Atlanta Centres for Disease Control. "A democracy demands that special circumstances receive special consideration," Patterson added. CFIA spokesperson Mark Van Dusen defended the government's decision to appeal the case on the grounds of health safety. He said the CFIA must "prevent the importation of animals that may carry diseases harmful to humans or other animals." "The squirrel was imported illegally. The appeal at this moment stands," said Van Dusen. National caucus chair Andy Savoy said he was surprised by Parrish's presentation to caucus in defence of the U.S. rodent. "It's quite pleasant for me to actually see Carolyn defending an American," quipped Savoy.