A few days ago, a woman from Oregon, USA, identified only as M., was house-sitting for a family member with her dog, Billie. While they were in the living room, they heard an unusual noise. It started quietly at first.
"It sounded like a scratching in the wall," M. told The Dodo. Intrigued, she tried to figure out where the sound was coming from but couldn't pinpoint its source straight away.
An unexpected fall down the chimney
A few moments later, there was a dull thud. Something had just fallen down the chimney flue, landing in the wood-burning stove, which was thankfully unlit. The noise immediately captivated Billie. The dog seemed to know, even before her owner, that an unexpected visitor had just landed in the stove.
"She was completely focused on it," M. explained. As she approached the stove, M. peered through the glass door. There, she discovered a squirrel, looking very surprised. It had probably been exploring the roof before venturing down the chimney, with no idea where it would end up.
A speedy release
Unsure how to help without risking injury to the animal, M. waited for the homeowner to return. Once Billie was kept at a safe distance and a clear path to the outside was opened, he opened the stove.
"The squirrel saw the exit, felt the fresh air, and shot outside in a second," M. recounted. In the end, it all turned out well for the little animal, which immediately scampered back into the wild. Only Billie seemed a little disappointed. Since she hadn't witnessed the squirrel's release, the dog still seemed puzzled by what she had seen behind the glass.
"The next time we went back to the house, Billie went straight over to look in the stove," M. shared. But the squirrel was long gone.
