Meet Neuty, a nutria who is living his best life in Bucktown, Louisiana—right outside of New Orleans. Neuty and his humans, Denny and Myra Lacoste, have had quite a wild this past week. On Wednesday, March 15, the 22-pound nutria was featured in a special interest story on NOLA.com, which described Neuty as being like "a soft, warm, calm dog, except for the scary orange teeth, webbed back feet and that nasty, nasty rat tail." Sounds adorable, to me! Neuty was rescued from the side of the road in Metairie, Louisiana, by Denny in 2020 after some of Neuty's siblings had gotten hit by a car. Since arriving at the Lacoste home, Neuty has been pampered just like any other beloved pet. Neuty likes to ride around in Denny's pickup truck, with his "head sticking out of the window just like a beagle," and that Neuty loves going through the drive-thru at McDonald's. NOLA.com further describes Neuty's idyllic life:
Neuty lives in a Bucktown home with the Lacostes, swims in the couple's saltwater pool, and dines on the finest corn on the cob, sweet potatoes, kiwi fruit, mixed salad greens and watermelon that money can buy.
Plus people sometimes supplement his healthy, all-natural, mostly vegetarian diet with doughnuts, vanilla wafers and Popeye's fried chicken.
Neuty nests in a hall bathroom. In the evening, the creature drags its favorite sticks, shoes, beach towels and any other cloth he can find around the house to the bathroom before bedding down. He poops and — mostly — pees outdoors.
Most days, Neuty goes to work with Denny, the owner of Dennis' Seafood in Metairie. He has a shady hangout out back, where he lounges, and a small water tub for soaking should he be so moved. Lunch includes the occasional raw mudbug. Neuty eats the tail, shell and all, but does not bother sucking the head.
Ahhh! The life of Neuty!
Well, things took a sharp downward turn for Neuty the day after the article came out, when Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries agents got wind of the situation. NOLA.com, in a follow-up article, explains that the agents showed up at the Lacostes' home, presented them with a ticket for illegally possessing a "wild quadruped" without a license, and ordered them to turn over Neuty to their custody, so that they could re-home the animal at a Baton Rouge zoo. Dennis Lacoste had no idea that keeping Neuty was illegal, and pleaded his case to the officers. Luckily, Neuty was not at home when the officers arrived—he was out for a ride with the Lacostes' son.
Luckily, however, in yet another follow-up article, NOLA.com reports that on Friday, March 17, the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced—following "public outrage"—that they will allow the Lacostes keep Neuty after all. However, there are some stipulations—Neuty must:
Receive regular veterinary checkups
Be caged while at the seafood shop
Be shielded from shop customers seeking to touch it, as they had before.
Phew, I'm so glad Neuty gets to stay with his family. His family is thrilled, too. Myra Lacoste stated that the family is "anxious to hold him and smooch on him."
