A variety of plush animal dolls are available for purchase at the gift shop in Tasmania’s Hobart Airport. But eagle-eyed visitors and staff this week discovered that one of the animals on the shelves wasn’t like the others.
It was alive.
Airport employee Melissa Oddie captured footage of the surprising find — a real-life possum who’d somehow managed to find his way inside to snuggle with his stuffed counterparts.
“Little crazy day today at work,” Oddie wrote. “No one can say our plush native toys are not realistic.”
From there, Oddie and her colleagues tried to guide the possum back outside. But the airport’s winding corridors and security barriers proved a bit confusing for the unexpected guest.
Thankfully, Hobart Airport later confirmed that the possum had been “safely relocated.”
This isn’t the first time a brushtail possum has wound up someplace where he doesn’t exactly belong. Found throughout Australia, the curious, adventurous marsupials are known for turning up in all sorts of human spaces.
With any luck, this one is now back where he belongs — among others who can return the snuggle.
A few months ago, a Good Samaritan walked into Stray Rescue of St. Louis (SRSL) with a heartbreaking request. The person held a severely matted stray dog in their arms as they asked if the shelter had room for one more resident.
“Someone brought in this tiny, matted pup they found,” SRSL wrote on Facebook. “Of course, we said YES! We’ll get this little lady all fixed up.”
Stray Rescue of St. Louis
SRSL’s staff immediately took in the dog, whom they named Woolly, inspired by the layers of hair encapsulating her body. They knew Woolly’s transformation would be complex, as she was covered in knotted fur, but it wasn’t until they gave her a medical exam that they realized how desperate her condition was.
“This poor, tiny 10-pound pup is being EATEN ALIVE and infested with maggots,” SRSL wrote on their website.
Stray Rescue of St. Louis
Woolly’s new friends at SRSL got straight to work removing the heavy fur from her body. They took their time shaving each mat off one by one, until finally, Woolly was nearly hairless.
Stray Rescue of St. Louis
Sadly, Woolly’s skin underneath the fur was inflamed and infected, but SRSL devised a treatment plan to get her healthy again. In addition to her new medication, Woolly soon found a medical foster home, where she could safely recover.
“[This] little angel is being picked up shortly to go to a medical foster home, so she doesn’t have to be in the loud, scary shelter,” SRSL wrote on Facebook. “We want her to be as comfortable as she’s ever been!”
Stray Rescue of St. Louis
Woolly was elated to go to a foster home just two days after being rescued. She settled into her new home as soon as she arrived and woke up well-rested the next morning.
“Last night was the best night of sleep she's had in a loooooooong time,” SRSL wrote on Facebook. “She's clean, she's FREE, and she's been nothing but sweet and grateful. What a doll!”
Stray Rescue of St. Louis
As the weeks passed, Woolly’s personality began to shine in foster care. Her foster mom, Anne, fell in love with Woolly instantly and was excited to share her progress with the folks at SRSL.
“We hit the jackpot when we took Woolly home. She is a dream dog,” Anne wrote to SRSL, shared in a Facebook post. “She is healing and is so happy.”
You can see Woolly playing with her new sister here:
A little over two months since her rescue, Woolly officially found her forever home, and she’s been thriving with her permanent family ever since. Now that she’s feeling better, the sweet girl is more playful than ever. And her family, along with her rescuers at SRSL, couldn’t be happier to see her blossom.
“Woolly arrived at the shelter, unrecognizable as a schnauzer,” SRSL wrote on Facebook. “She’s an, ‘I can’t believe that’s the same dog’ - dog. THIS is why fostering shelter dogs matters! Woolly is living her dream life!”
To help pets like Woolly get the care they need, you can donate to Stray Rescue of St. Louis here.
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