Homeowner Opens Woodstove And Finds Entire Family Using It As An ‘Airbnb’
Homeowner Opens Woodstove And Finds Entire Family Using It As An ‘Airbnb’
This past June, a homeowner in Jefferson County, Colorado, opened their wood-burning stove and found a pile of surprising visitors hiding inside.“[It] had become the temporary Airbnb for a raccoon family — four wiggly babies and their momma,” the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office wrote in a post.
In need of help, the homeowner called the sheriff’s office, which dispatched animal control officers K. Bennett and K. Rupe to the scene.
When the rescuers opened the stove door and saw the unlikely family huddled inside, they couldn’t help but chuckle.
“We laughed at first, because when we first opened the door, mama raccoon was still in the fireplace,” the officers told The Dodo. “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.”
The officers donned gloves and gently grabbed the babies by the scruffs of their necks, just as their mother would. Then, they took the kits outside and nestled them safely in a quiet bush, where they could wait until their mother returned.
The next morning, the homeowner visited the bush and found that all the babies were gone — surely, they were now safe with their mom.
Tiny Tails & Chimney Escapes! 🦝 On May 19th, JCSO Animal Control officers responded to a wild (and kinda adorable) call near 14th St. & Nile St. A homeowner discovered that their wood-burning stove had become the temporary Airbnb for a raccoon family, four wiggly babies and their momma. As the stove door opened, momma raccoon ran up the chimney and onto the roof like it was her personal action movie. Meanwhile, our officers gently scooped up the tiny, fussy fluffballs and gave them a safe spot to wait: a cozy, quiet bush just outside the home. The babies were healthy, safe, and waiting for momma to make her way back, just a normal day for the JCSO Animal Control team (cape not included). 🐾💚 It’s what we do. #RaccoonRescue #AnimalControl #WildlifeWednesday #TinyTails #TeamJCSO
Posted by Jefferson County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday, June 4, 2025
To avoid situations like this in the future, Jefferson County Animal Control officers encourage homeowners to put caps on their chimneys during the spring. If everyone does their part to protect their wild neighbors, raccoons like these won’t have to worry about stumbling into the wrong “Airbnb” — they’ll always be comfortable in their wild home.
