A Liberty Township man, Dante Pennachio, 39, has been jailed on a $200,000 bond following a dispute over a pet squirrel. He pleaded not guilty to a felony aggravated burglary charge in Warren Municipal Court, where the judge also ordered him to have no contact with the woman involved.
Police responded to a disturbance at the woman’s home, where she reported that Pennachio had been sending her threatening texts and was upset about the squirrel they shared. While she was caring for the animal, she intended to hand it over to the Humane Society.
The confrontation escalated when Pennachio entered the home to retrieve items he had gifted her. When he attempted to take the squirrel’s cage, she intervened, resulting in a struggle. Pennachio claimed he was attacked first and that he was merely defending himself.
As for the squirrel’s whereabouts, that detail was not included in the police report. It’s worth noting that Ohio law prohibits keeping wild animals as pets, mandating that injured or orphaned wildlife be sent to licensed rehabilitators. Pennachio is set to return to court Thursday.
