This Sheriff Took His Squad Car To The Mechanic And You Won’t Guess What Was In The Wheel Well

20. Squad Car

When the headlight of your car is out, it’s usually a simple fix. When one sheriff noticed it was time to take his squad car in, he got the shock of his life and so did the mechanic. When they opened up the headlight, they never expected to find what they did…

19. Headlight Out

Everyone involved didn’t even know what they were looking at, at first. When they realized what was going on, they knew no tool could fix this problem…

18. McHenry County Sheriff’s Office

The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office of Illinois describes their officers as, “conservers of peace”, according to their website. The sheriff’s office employs more than 400 people, and it was one of their officers that was in the spotlight recently. No one thought a headlight change would have the Internet talking

17. The Officer

The officer who gained attention had taken a couple days off work right before the shocking discovery. Having a headlight out isn’t that big of a deal, but for an officer, it means the car is unusable for duty. It was only his first day back when he took his squad car in to get fixed, so to the shop, he headed.

16. Something Strange

Believing it was going to be just another day at the shop, the local mechanic quickly got started on the deputy’s car, as he knew he had an important duty to return to. When he took off the light cap, he realized this was probably the most interesting thing he would ever encounter while at work…

15. Chewed Wires

When the mechanic looked a little closer, he found that all the wires connecting power to the head light had been chewed through, according to deputy Sandra Rodgers, who was present during the discovery. The two didn’t realize the cause of the chewed wires, at first. They were stumped, to say the least.

14. Rats

It was unusual that a car being used so frequently would have an infestation of any kind, especially a clean squad car. However, rodents looked to be the most plausible suspects, so the next step was to try and find the source–or nest if you will. They didn’t think the rodents would still be in the car, so the mechanic got to work fixing the wiring.

13. Leaves In The Wheel

As the mechanic continued to work, he noticed a bundle of what looked to be leaves. When he opened up the wheels, he found a nest! It looked like there was something snuggled tightly away in the center of the nest, but he couldn’t tell what it was.

12. Baby Squirrels

Soon, it became clear that they had a nest of baby squirrels on their hands! It was an amazing sight to see, as the mother must have squeezed through an opening in the wheel while the deputy was taking a couple days off. According to the mechanic, it was a miracle the little things were still alive, and everyone involved knew it was going to be up to them to save them.

11. Telling The Officer

When the officer got news of the squirrels in his car, he jumped at the opportunity to see them. He grabbed his kids and they all got the opportunity to learn a little something. The babies were fast asleep…

10. Do Not Disturb

Having a big heart, the mechanic worked as quiet as he could as not to disturb the little ones who were fast asleep. He took off the wheel well and safely removed the nest. None of the baby squirrels woke up during the entire extraction and the entire shop was officially infatuated with them. 

9. Taking Them Home

Everyone knew that if the babies were left to themselves, they wouldn’t make it. But no one knew anything about raising baby squirrels, and they didn’t know what to do next. The deputy who drives the car decided that he had to take them home, and his family was extremely excited for their new additions…

8. Reuniting With Mom

The goal was to reunite the mother with her babies, but the deputy knew that was a long shot. The babies were so young; they hadn’t even opened their eyes yet, so it was crucial to find the mother. The deputy returned the nest to the same spot the car had been, in hopes to locate the frantic mother who was probably desperately looking for her babies…

7. Worked Like A Charm

Thankfully, the plan worked! Within minutes the mother squirrel arrived and immediately took her babies back. Everyone involved was relieved to see the mother be so quick to take her babies back because they knew they couldn’t give the squirrels what they really needed.

6. So Why The Wheel?

A wheel doesn’t seem like the best place to make a nest, so it probably has you wondering why the mother squirrel thought this was the perfect place to call home. In reality, the mother squirrel focuses on not only a safe place to create her nest, but a warm one. A car is quite the hot attraction, literally.

5. Warm Cars

In fact, many rodents love warm cars because they create a constant warm home throughout the winter. The real issue happens when they chew through wiring, like in this case, or when they create a huge mess consisting of nuts, nesting material, and whatever else they find.

4. Country Problem

Not to say rodents in cars are specifically a country problem, but if you do live in a rural area, the likelihood of your car having a rodent problem is more likely. It best to avoid this by parking indoors or placing a cover over your car to deter the animals from choosing your car as their home.

3. Different Remedies

If you can’t keep your car in a garage or covered place, there are a couple remedies to prevent any rodents from chewing your wiring. You can spray your wires with “apple spray” which can be purchased at pet supply stores and is made to taste unpleasant to deter animals but not harmful. You can also use a combination of peppermint and/or curry, as many rodents do not like such uniquely intense flavors.

2. Check With Your Mechanic

Of course, before you go spraying any homemade concoctions on the wiring of your vehicle, consult with your mechanic first. It’s important to find the right remedy that works for you, while also keeping the environment in mind. It’s best to avoid harsh chemicals for not only the squirrel but for you and your family as well.

1. Save A Life

It’s also important to note the kindness that the deputy and the mechanic shop showed when handling the baby squirrels. It would have been easier to just leave them to fend for themselves, but everyone involved knew the right thing to do was to save their lives. We hope to see more of this altruism in every community.