An Alabama man accused of keeping an "attack squirrel" that was hopped up on methamphetamine will have to wait a bit longer for his day in court.
Mickey Paulk was arrested in 2019 and was set to start a bench trial on Monday. However, the trial was delayed until February 28 because his attorney did not show up to court.
Paulk made national headlines following his arrest more than two years ago. Police started investigating Paulk after receiving a tip that he was keeping a drugged out squirrel -- named Deeznuts, according to reports -- at his apartment in Limestone County.
During a search of the apartment, investigators seized methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, body armor, and the squirrel. The sheriff's office said Paulk was allegedly holding the animal captive and feeding it meth to keep it aggressive.
Police found the squirrel locked in a cage. Since there was no safe way to test the animal for drugs, they released it back into the wild.
Paulk, who wasn't home at the time of the search, was arrested several days later following a manhunt and charged with possession of a wild animal, stolen property and possession of a weapon by a felon.
In a Facebook video after the search, Paulk admitted that the squirrel had bitten people, but he denied the animal was trained to attack. He claimed to have raised the squirrel since it was a baby.
"The public isn't in danger from the methed-out squirrel in the neighborhood," Paulk said, according to NBC News. "He's not on meth, I'm pretty sure. Better not find out he's on meth anyway. I don't think he likes that sh--."
In Alabama, it is illegal to keep a native, wild animal as a pet.
Paulk is also facing charges of trafficking methamphetamine and chemical endangerment of a child in connection with an arrest in 2021.
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