Wednesday, May 5, 2010

My Brother Erik and Geoff the Squirrel

I just had to share these videos of my brother and his new animal friend. Those who know my brother know that he has always been a big animal lover; growing up, he never let a stray dog leave his sight without bringing him home to our mud room (dogs/cats were not allowed in our house) and giving the stray a bowl of water and a snack of some sort. He welcomed all animals, and always seemed to know just what they needed. He was never worried about fleas, worms, or any other disease that the animal had...his main concern was caring for it.

This leads me to the story of Geoff (I believe he is named after a Milwaukee Brewer). Erik found Geoff laying in the middle of the road; he was just a baby and had fallen out of his nest - his eyes had not even opened yet. Erik was worried he would be run over, so he brought him home (no need to check with our parents, Erik has his own place now with his girlfriend Brooke). He called a couple of animal hospitals looking for help, but no pet hospital was willing to help. He was referred to a shelter in a different city, and called them for some info. Again, a baby squirrel was not worth their time. So Erik went online for a tutorial on squirrels. He soon learned he was about 6 weeks old and also learned about the food he would need. Erik made a drink for Geoff the squirrel using Vitamin Water and Puppy milk and fed him accordingly. He then gave him a bath using dawn dish soap and cleaned him with a toothbrush. A few days later Geoff's eye's opened and he had made a full recovery. Erik has also been working with Geoff outside...teaching him to climb trees! No Joke! Geoff seems pretty attached now, and while Erik does plan to let him go, I don't think Geoff will want to.

I heard this whole story first hand from Erik, and I wasn't a bit suprised knowing how caring my brother is.

2 comments:

Jenny said...

How crazy! Who takes a squirrel in?!

Katie said...

This is TOO CUTE! Geoff and Erik especially are going to get WAY attached. Maybe Erik can build a squirrel house for him so he can stay close :-)