Employees at a funeral home in Michigan were going about their day when they noticed an animal walk herself into the parking lot and curl up in a corner, exhausted. They took a closer look and soon realized that she was a beaver.
“[They were] in a location that had no bodies of water around,” Kari Aspenleiter, founder of Serenity’s Place Wildlife Rehab, told The Dodo.”That is how the story of Spruce started.”
Serenity’s Place Wildlife Rehab
Someone posted about Spruce on Facebook, and eventually Aspenleiter heard about the poor beaver’s plight and immediately cleared her schedule.
“It was an unusual call, being in the middle of the city of Westland, MI, I needed to confirm it was indeed a beaver,” Aspenleiter said. “Once confirmed, I immediately put a plan in place to contain Spruce and asked transport volunteer Lauren Golembiewski to go on-site to keep a visual while I grabbed supplies and headed that way.”
Serenity’s Place Wildlife Rehab
Once she arrived, Aspenleiter gently scooped up Spruce and gave her a thorough examination right there in the parking lot. She thought Spruce might be nervous or try to resist, but instead she was the perfect patient.
“She honestly seemed grateful to have been found,” Aspenleiter said.
Serenity’s Place Wildlife Rehab
Aspenleiter determined that Spruce had likely been born in the spring of 2025. Beavers are supposed to stay with their moms for about two years, but it seemed that poor Spruce had gotten lost somehow. She was underweight and dehydrated, with cuts on her tail and an infected eye, but luckily none of her injuries were life-threatening. She just needed someone to care for her.
Serenity’s Place Wildlife Rehab
Aspenleiter frequently partners with Wildside Rehabilitation Center and knew it would be the perfect place for Spruce to spend the next year healing. She took Spruce there and got her settled, and now the little beaver is thriving once more.
Serenity’s Place Wildlife Rehab
“She has quickly become a favorite of the facility and has her very own ‘stuffie’ to keep her company,” Aspenleiter said. “They are very social creatures and build strong bonds. While Wildside doesn’t wish for any animal to have to come into rehab, they are hopeful that when another beaver needs help, it will make the perfect companion for Spruce.”
Serenity’s Place Wildlife Rehab
No one is sure exactly how Spruce ended up in the funeral home parking lot, but her journey there led her to where she is now — being cared for by people who will make sure she thrives.
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