Newhouse Wildlife Rescue in has rehabilitated all sorts of sick and injured wild animals, but perhaps not one this far gone.
But this week a couple with a baby squirrel in a cardboard box showed up at the door of Jane Newhouse’s Chelmsford, MA-based wildlife group.
“They had found a seemingly lifeless baby squirrel and were about to bury it when they started to question whether or not it had actually passed,” Newhouse posted on Facebook Monday.
They thought the squirrel maybe, just maybe, moved.
“I was fairly certain the poor creature was no longer with us, but I took her in the rehab room to be sure,” Newhouse wrote.
“Her body was cold and somewhat stiff. She didn’t appear to be breathing. She wasn’t responsive to any stimulus. But…she had a heart beat. Faint as it was…it was there.”
The couple was told the squirrel was alive — but barely.
They were relieved, but there was more to do to be sure the tiny creature survived.
“I told them we would do what we could but I had honestly never brought one back from that close to death,” Newhouse explained.
“It took hours of warming her and trying to stimulate her to breath. Slowly but surely, she started to come back to us. This morning she is wide awake with quite the appetite.”
“I am still dumbfounded by the whole thing,” Newhouse wrote. “Honestly, I still can’t believe it.”
The wildlife group thanked the couple from coming forward — and they were equally thrilled to receive the good news.
“This little creature’s heart still beats today because of your kindness,” Newhouse added.
Newhouse provide an update on the teeny squirrel’s status on Wednesday.
“Our baby squirrel that came to us on death’s door is doing AMAZING!” Newhouse wrote.
And, she now has a name.
“Meet Faith everyone. She truly is a miracle.”
