Mary Guy figured that becoming a national celebrity was probably about as much as a squirrel could hope to achieve in one lifetime. But Barney is not your average squirrel.
Mary has a bottled water business in Garden City, Kansas. She is also a known animal lover. One day in August of 1994, one of her customers showed her an orphaned baby fox squirrel that he had found. WHen he asked if she could care for it, she felt she hda to at least give it a try.
It so happened that a week earlier, Mary's cat, Corky, had had four kittens. Mary's husband, Charlie, suggested they try adding the squirrel to the litter of kittens--and it worked! Barney (named by a grandson after a particular purple dinosaur) was not only adopted by Corky, he was accepted as a sibling by all four kittens. He became especially close with one feline sister, Celeste.
Some of the Guys' guests thought this cat/squirrel family was so adorable that they contacted the local newspaper about it. The paper ran a story with a photo of the mother cat nursing her four kittens and Barney under the headline: "One of these kittens seems sort of squirrelly."
The unusual story was picked up by the Associated Press and sent to newspapers all over the country. As a result, Mary received calls and letters from all over the country, and even Canada, by people who were impressed with the story and picture. barney was a celebrity!
Unfortunately, there was a downside to Barney's fame.
The article was seen by employees of the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. A state official contacted the Guys and told them that it is illegal to keep a squirrel as a pet in the state of Kansas. They would have to return Barney to the wild.
Mary was thunderstruck. Not only had she become attached to her unusual pet, she feared for his life if he was turned loose. He had no fear of cats--he'd been raised by one! But squirrels are rodents and cats are natural enemies of rodents. If Barney was turned loose, he'd be lunch for the first stray cat he met. She explained this to the authorities, but to no avail. The law's the law.
"Well, ma'am," suggested one officer, "if you buys a hunting license, you can legally keep him until the end of squirrel season. It runs until December 31."
It was a temporary solution, but Mary hurried out to pay the thirteen dollars for a hunting license.
Mary grieved as the end of the year approached. She had come to truly love the mishievous little guy and was certain that turning him loose was tantamount to a death sentence.
Also, by this time, all of the kittens had been adopted except Celeste: and she and Barney were now best friends. They played together, slept together and chased each other all over the house. If Mary separated them, Celest wailed miserably. And Barney showed not the slightest interest in life in the great outdoors.
Mary again approached the newpapers. Perhaps the same notoriety that had landed Barney in this mess could lead to a solution.
The story of Barney's plight went out over the Associated Press wires. By early December, Mary was deluged with calls and letters from all over the country offering their prayers and moral support. Some callers who lived in states with differing laws even offered to take in both Barney and Celeste.
The Wildlife and Parks Department also received calls and mail from around the country. Not wanting to look heartless, they suggested that Barney might be released at the Garden City Zoo's park. The Kansas Attorney General called Mary and suggested that she give Barney to a "rehabilitator" who would teach him to survive in the wild before releasing him.
Still, Mary feared for the safety of her beloved pet--and knew he didn't want to leave his happy life any more than she wanted to lose him.
As New Year's Eve approached, the Guys saw one slim chance. The new year would bring a new administration into the Kansas statehouse. Mary arranged for friends who were invited to the new governor's inaugural celebration to take information about Barney with them.
One of the first acts of the Kansas governor's office in 1995 was to issue the Guys a special permit to keep their squirrel.
And so Barney became the first squirrel in history to not only become a national celebrity, but to receive a pardon from the governor.
No, not your average squirrel at all.
Gregg Bassett
President, The Squirrel Lover's Club