Wildlife encounters are part of everyday life for many people who live in suburban neighborhoods. Animals digging through trash cans or racing across lawns barely register as unusual, and spotting a squirrel tucked into a backyard tree is hardly worth a second glance.
But discovering wild animals living inside your house without your knowledge is something else entirely.
That was the unexpected situation faced by a family in Colorado. After spotting something unusual inside their woodstove, they decided to call Animal Control instead of handling it themselves.
An Unexpected Household Of Guests
In a quiet Colorado neighborhood, a family began to notice odd signs coming from their woodstove.
Rather than investigate on their own, they chose caution and contacted the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office for help.
Animal control officers K. Bennett and K. Rupe arrived and quickly traced the mystery to the chimney.
The animals had entered from above and appeared to have been living inside the stove for a while, calm and completely at ease.
The officers, K. Bennett and K. Rupe, told The Dodo: “We laughed at first, because when we first opened the door, mama raccoon was still in the fireplace. We had to shut the door very [quickly]. She ran back up the chimney, and that’s when we were able to open the door and get the babies.”
Wearing protective gloves, the officers carefully removed the baby raccoons and placed them safely into a nearby bush outside the home.
After that, they went back inside to retrieve the mother.
The raccoon family remained surprisingly relaxed throughout the process, allowing the officers to work without incident.
A Quiet Departure Under Cover Of Night
Once reunited outdoors, the mother and her babies stayed close to the house for a short time. By the next morning, the homeowner noticed they were gone.
It seemed likely the raccoons had moved on to a more suitable natural shelter and would not be returning to the chimney.
Of course, there was no absolute way to be certain. They could have simply found another nearby home with an open chimney.
To prevent future surprises, the officers recommended installing a chimney cap. While situations like this are rare, leaving them unaddressed can lead to bigger issues.
Thanks to the family’s calm decision-making and the careful handling by Colorado animal control, the situation was resolved quickly, safely, and without harm to anyone involved.
