It was the week that Seattle turned into an inferno. Everyone and everything was hot. The air - usually breezy and tinged with a refreshing chill - was thick, sticky, and stagnant.
We were prepared. Primed and ready, everyone solemnly reviewed the basics on what to do with animals - primarily dogs - who were suffering from heat stroke. It wasn't something that any of us looked forward to. Yet we figured, with the suffocating heat, there was no way around it. So we put our games faces on and waited.
And waited.
On Wednesday, July 29th, the heat skyrocketed. The thermometer at the clinic registered close to one hundred and ten degrees. It was the hottest day on record in Seattle, and even the heat-loving sun-worshipers were beginning to beg for relief.
Around one o'clock that day, we saw our first victims. But it wasn't what we'd been expecting. It wasn't what we'd been preparing for.
Not a dog. Not a cat. But squirrels.
They were babies - at the most just a couple of weeks old. A boy and a girl, huddled together in a cardboard box and brought in by a Good Samaritan who happened to spot them lying on the side of the road. Helpless, their mother hit by a car, these precious little babies were found orphaned, limp, and barely breathing.
Unfortunately, the little girl was dead upon arrival. But the boy was still kicking. Barely. The odds were stacked against him, but we brushed Fate aside and got to work. Fortunately, one of the techs had quite a bit of experience raising newborns - of the two and four legged kind - and was fabulous enough to take on the challenge of caring for the little guy full time. (She's also mom to Fiona and baby Joon.) So we crossed our fingers, said a little prayer, and opened our hearts to our new little friend.
Well, a mere week and a half later, the squirrel - now lovingly known as Ivan - is thriving. Thriving. He's no longer bald, but covered in a fine layer of squirrely peach fuzz. His eyes haven't opened yet, but his ears have, and he's as active and alert as ever. He certainly knows his mama (Crystal) and, like a typical baby, throws a bit of a tantrum when she first lays him down for a nap. Even so, he's a dream. He's adorable, sweet, and quite possibly the cutest thing anyone has ever seen.
But, most of all, he's a survivor. A fighter. A tough little guy who knocked on Death's door and escaped unscathed.
Here are a few shots of Ivan with his mom...
______________________
"You can't be friends with a squirrel! A squirrel is just a rat with a cuter outfit."
-- Sarah Jessica Parker
0 comments:
Post a Comment