There’s a dead squirrel near my car. This is in New Paltz, NY where shi-shi and country meet. Thus, I was surprised that a squirrel dare die in the quaintness of the village.

But there he is. And “there” is where Bunch and I walk everyday.

Now, Bunch is used to live squirrels now. They scamper and run to-and-fro and often perch at the bottom of a tree and taunt us.

Some of them stand their ground even when we’re walking toward them. But a dead squirrel is a new phenomenon.

So… a few things to remember about squirrels and dogs –

• Squirrels should Always be avoided. Don’t think it’s “Cute” to encourage your dog to chase them, on-leash or off-leash.
• Squirrels can have diseases (duh). See above.
• A squirrel bite or scratch can become infected, or worse, and that might mean a trip to the vet At Once because you don’t know how your dog will react to either.
• A dog catching and killing, or maiming, a squirrel is not a pretty site.
• If you encourage your dog to “make friends” with squirrels, you’re setting yourself up for more leash pulling/lunging that will have to be corrected.
• If your dog rolls in a dead squirrel, you’ve got a lot of bathing to do to ensure no diseases or allergies have occurred and, yep, another trip to the vet.

I have nothing against squirrels. I love that Bunch can watch them out the window. But I’ve changed where I park my car where the dead squirrel lies – just in case.