Bear Attemps to Save Squirrel

Having a dog means you are required to go out into the world and interact with it.  No less than three or four times a day you need get your ass off the couch, walk outside, and deal with whatever is out there.  Very often it is other people and other dogs.  And sometimes, situations that need to be dealt with.

Late last night, when it was time for Tia's final pee break before bed, I put her leash on her and looked over at my cell phone plugged into the wall charging, and thought, "I'm going to need that."

However, I don't listen to myself well, so I walked outside without it.  At the end of the driveway was a tiny Pomeranian/Chihuahua mix named Layla with her owner who didn't feel that she needed to be on the leash, whom we had met once before.  His dog is clearly more obedient that Tia, so once he told her to back off from Tia who was lunging on the collar trying to play with her, he mentioned that up the road I should be careful because there was a squirrel.

Huh?

"Yeah, there's this squirrel on the sidewalk, just lying there.  It even let me pet it.  I don't have a phone on me; I was going to call animal control when I get back to my apartment."

See, I really should listen to myself more often.

"I'll go get mine and call," I said to him, trying to drag Tia back to me. 

"Okay." Then, in purely un-dogowner like manner, he asked, "Hey what's your name?"

Now, here's the thing about people out walking their dogs: you never get each others' names.  Your dogs are more intimate with each other than most people are after years of knowing one another, but as humans, we don't even get each other's name as our dogs below us topple and stick each others' appendages in their mouths.

I answered, and asked his.  "Barret?" I asked, not sure I heard him right.

"No.  Bear.  As in Smokey the..."

He certainly didn't seem like a bear.  Smokey, yes, but not Bear.  He was over six feet tall, rather thin, smoking a cigarette, and appeared to have smoked another variety of plant rather recently.

When I made it back out with the phone, I walked toward the corner where he said the squirrel was located, and sure enough, there it was.  If it was a person, I would have suspected it had fallen off the roof and threw his back out.  He was lying on his stomach.  Four feet under him, breathing heavily.  Even Tia gave him a break in the beginning.

The day before Tia and I had run into a bat-shit crazy squirrel.  I wasn't quite sure if the squirrel had rabies, had babies in the tree, or was just plain nuts.  (Interesting how one can confuse deadly disease, mental instability, and just being female as an excuse for craziness).  It barked and hissed and came forward at her while up a tree.  It should have just stayed up in the tree, but felt the need to come down and hiss at her.  I've see squirrels come down close to taunt, but it's always in good fun.  Let's face it: the squirrel knows the dog is never going to catch him, so it should be fun.  This squirrel was not having fun.

I wondered if indeed this was the same squirrel, or worse yet, this fallen squirrel had been attacked by the crazy one.  I called the Burbank police since I for some reason, didn't have animal control's number in my phone.  I asked if animal control was duty, and the dispatcher said No, they'd send a police unit out.

Really?  A report of a downed squirrel warrants a police officer in Burbank, California.  Huh.  I feel pretty safe in this town.

Bear waited with me for a spell, and helped me determine which cardinal direction the corner was on as the dispatcher asked.  When the cops were on their way, he said he had to leave.  He returned shortly, stating that it was because he had the dog off leash and didn't want to get a ticket, but I suspect it might have been because he was high as a kite.

Tia and I waited and within minutes, the cruiser showed up.  I was surprised by how quickly they came.  Then my second surprise: a second cruiser! 

"Wow.  A squirrel in distress requires two squad cars?" I asked with a smile.

The second officer replied, "No, he's my dinner partner, and I can't go without him so I figured I'd see if I could help."

The first officer was on the phone, getting a hold of animal control, and I apologized and told him I had asked for that.

"They send us first, to see if the animal is still alive.  If it is, then we call animal control, and they meet us at the shelter."

His dinner partner walked down the street and acquired an empty box (a helpful homeless man digging through the trash found one for him), but let the on duty officer be the one to get the injured squirrel into the box.

The entire time, Tia tried to remain patient, but let's face it, this was quite an opportunity.  In her yelps and whines, I heard, "Oh, come on!  Let me get him!  In all the history of dogdom, one of us could finally catch one of them!"

"Yes, Tia, but it's injured.  It wouldn't be fair."

She whined again.  "But I would go down in history as the dog that finally caught a squirrel!  I would be a legend!" she cried.

"You already are, my dear, you already are," I told her with a smile.

Neither officer had tape to keep the box closed, but the squirrel went willingly in. As Tia and I continued on our walk, I saw the officer place the box in his trunk.  Admittedly, if he had put it in the front seat, a scene from National Lampoon would have ensued, so I couldn't really blame him.

I called the Burbank Animal Control this afternoon just to confirm what I already suspected: the little squirrel had to be euthanized.  We haven't run into the crazy squirrel again, so I imagine that might have been it.  I don't like having to euthanize any animal, but I think it's a whole lot better ending to a life than being torn apart by dogs or even raccoons, which is what would have happened had Bear not tried to save the squirrel.

I'd like to give my thanks to the Burbank PD for responding so quickly to an animal in need.  If that's how quickly and how kindly they treat a wild animal in need, just imagine the service you get when you're human!

As for Smokey the Bear, he vacated once the police officers arrived, but I've seen him in the neighborhood since and he continues to let little Layla run free.  Honestly, had the squirrel been up and moving about, it could have eaten her.  That boy needs to put that dog on a leash.

As for Tia, she's still bitter that I didn't let her go down as the legendary canine that finally captured a squirrel.  All in due time, my dear, all in due time.