Having raised 'wild animals' in the past, she knew she needed a permit in New York, where she came from. So, when she found the squirrel, she called the Wildlife Division of the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources and asked if there was anything she needed to do to help the sick squirrel. She was told at that time that she did not need a permit to help a sick squirrel.
That was 17 months ago. Since then, the squirrel, which Mary Jane has named Angele Daniel Nicole, has become very domesticated and enjoys the good life living with Mary Jane and her husband, Mike. Angele has the run of the house, usually sleeps in a linen closet all tucked neatly away in a pink blanket (though, if she's worried about something, she sometimes sleeps in bed with the Cliftons), gets fed very well and, when taken outside, stays very close to Mary Jane, never venturing more than about a car's length away from her and then rushing back to her. Angele, in fact, not only has a wonderful life with the Cliftons; she could never survive on her own in the wild if set free. She has become too domesticated.
Angele even allows Mary Jane to dress her in homemade costumes, especially to keep her warm when they go outside.
Angele has also become a mascot for orphaned and disabled children in a children's hospital in Romania that Mary Jane's church helps to support. These children are living under terrible circumstances. Many die as a result. Mary Jane's church is raising money not only to help these kids where they are, but hopefully to bring them to the United States for much better medical care.
Each of these children has a photograph of Angele that he/she can admire with the hope of someday coming to America and meeting Angele in person.
On Oct. 17, 1997, Mary Jane dressed Angele up in one of her costumes and entered her in the pet parade at the Circleville Pumpkin Show. Angele won a prize for 'most unusual pet,' and her reward was being donated to the Romanian children.
In Steps 'Big Brother'
Shortly after Mary Jane's picture appeared in the local newspaper with Angele for winning the 'most unusual pet' award, she was approached at home by two officers from the Wildlife Division of the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources. They told her that, since she didn't have a permit to house and domesticate a wild animal, she would have to turn Angele over to them to be released into the wild.
Mary Jane was horrified. She knew that Angele could not be undomesticated, that she didn't even know what the wild was and would never survive out on her own. These officers were trying to tear her away from the only world she'd ever known. Mary Jane asked if she could apply for a permit to keep Angele. She was told 'no' because she already had the animal. She asked if she could at least release Angele in her own backyard. One of the officers said that he couldn't allow that. He said he had to take her and release her elsewhere.
Mary Jane refused to turn Angele over to them. So, she has been charged with a misdemeanor that carries a penalty possibly as high as a $500 fine and 60 days in jail. This is how the state of Ohio rewards a woman of the cloth for deeply caring about animals and children in need.
Mary Jane was subpoenaed to court and had a hearing on Oct. 30. She
was heard by Judge John Adkins, who awarded her a jury trial by her request.
A pretrial date has been set for Nov. 17. The jury trial date has not yet
been set.
The following is a reprint of a letter Mary Jane sent to one of her local newspapers:
Dear Editor,
I'm writing to ask for help for children of Romania and for Angele Daniel Nicole, the little gray squirrel that took first place in the Pumpkin Show pet parade.
Angele is 17 months old and was found on Main Street in Circleville as a young infant just a few days old. I dearly love animals and brought her to my home. I believed with the help of God I could keep her alive and well.
Please let it be known I did call the Wildlife Game Division of Ohio and asked them if I needed anything for her. Their answer was no.
Had Angele not walked with me in the pet parade and had her picture taken with me, the children of Spital Hospital in Nicorenti, Romania would possibly not lose their mascot. Donald Myers, pastor of the First Congregational Church in Greenville, Ohio, gave Angele this commission as mascot. Pastor Myers and his congregation are a great part of meeting the missionary needs of these Romanian children.
Pastor Myers and Mrs. Dodie Myers visited these children this past summer. They found them in great need of medical help, food, water, clothing and shelter. They found these children needed to be removed from Romania and brought here to the United States. This has already begun since these children of Spital Hospital are positively dying.
Angele's part in this was to walk in the pet parade and donate her reward to her children of Spital Hospital.
The reward Angele Daniel Nicole received from her own loving heart was the Wildlife Game Division coming to our home to take her away from me. She just may lose her life because she is domesticated and because I unknowingly didn't have any permit for her. I am personally apologizing to the Ohio State Wildlife Game Division.
Please show Angele your support and come to Circleville Municipal Court on Oct. 30 at 8:30 a.m. for her court trial.
REV.MARY JANE C. CLIFTON
When the story of Mary Jane's misdemeanor charges was printed in The Circleville Herald, one of the readers of the article was a veterinarian named Dr. Charles B. Hardin. The following is a reprint of a handwritten letter from Dr. Hardin to Judge Adkins:
Judge John Adkins
Municipal Court
Your Honor
Re: The Squirrel
Yes, the legal interpretation is clear. But since the judge does have common sense, I would expect you to make an exception to the rule. My professional opinion is that turning this creature loose would constitute cruel and inhumane treatment. Humans can give animals a quality life.
I do not personally know the caregiver or the squirrel.
Sincerely,
Charles B. Hardin, D.V.M.
I first found out about this incident when one of our club members called me last Thursday night (Oct. 30) to tell me he had just seen it on the NBC-TV newscast. I immediately set about finding out how to reach Mary Jane. When I got her, I told her of the existence of our club and that we are on her side.
I also asked her to send me any information that she could about her plight so I could write this newsletter article and get her as much support as possible. (Since I was already running a little late with the newsletter, I figured a few more days for a worthy cause wouldn't matter.) She was more than happy to send me what she had.
At this time, I would like to ask all of you to show your support of Mary Jane and Angele by responding to this ridiculous and intolerable persecution they're being subjected to. I firmly believe that one of the missions of The Squirrel Lover's Club is to look out for the best interests of squirrels and squirrel lovers, and to come to the assistance of squirrel lovers caught in a trap of injustice, as in this case. Here's how you can help.
Contact the Wildlife Division of the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources and let them know how you feel about their acts of persecution and oppression. Let them know you support Rev. Mary Jane Clifton and her squirrel, Angele, and that you find their totally unnecessary persecution of them to be unacceptable, intolerable and unconscionable. You can write to them, call them and/or FAX them. Personally, I hope everybody does all three. I intend to.
Here's the information you need to contact them:
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Wildlife Division
1840 Belcher Drive
Columbus, Ohio 43224-1329
Phone: (614) 265-6300
FAX: (614) 262-1143
In addition to contacting them yourselves, show this story to all of your friends, relatives and neighbors and get them to respond also.
Also, contact newspapers, radio stations and TV stations in your area and steer them to this story, too. The more publicity Mary Jane and Angele get, the better their chances.
Remember, Mary Jane and Angele need our support. Together, we can fight 'Big Brother' wherever he shows up!
Gregg Bassett
President
The Squirrel Lover's Club
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