Patterson Man Accused Of Trapping, Painting And Transporting Squirrels

PUTNAM COUNTY, NY — A 62-year-old Patterson resident accused of spray-painting squirrels with Rust-Oleum faces charges under New York State environmental and agricultural laws.

Putnam County probation officers alerted the Putnam County SPCA and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation police that a man on probation for an unrelated crime admitted to trapping squirrels on his property, spraying them with apple-red-colored Rust-Oleum Paint + Primer, then releasing them at another location in town.

"Last year, we held a Seminar for Probation and First Responders on how to recognize animal cruelty," SPCA chief Ken Ross told Patch. "His Probation Officer contacted us and we brought in the DA's Office and Encon Police."

After a short investigation, in which they were assisted by local wildlife rehabilitators and the Southeast Animal Hospital, the SPCA detectives and DEC officers interviewed Mark Kuhn at his residence Jan. 13.

Then the SPCA charged Kuhn with three counts of Poisoning or Attempting to Poison Animals, a misdemeanor in the New York State Agriculture and Markets Law. The NYS DEC Police charged Kuhn with several violations under the New York State Environmental Conservation laws.

The PC SPCA seized two traps from the property, as well as the Rust-oleum spray can that officials alleged was used on the squirrels that were caught.