SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
Imagine a home security system that costs acorns. Teenager broke into a home in Meridian, Idaho, this week. And when he tried to break into a gun safe in the house, he got scratched by Joey, a pet squirrel. Joey's holed up in the home of Adam Pearl of Meridian since he was found in a flower garden about six months ago. He hasn't been trained as a security squirrel but reportedly, trained himself to use a litter box. He eats nuts, greens and spinach. A lot of us could stand to be on the same diet as Joey.
Adam Pearl said he'd planned to release Joey into his backyard this spring. But after Joey foiled a burglar, he says, I'm kind of torn. He told KIVI in Boise, nobody can believe it because who can say they have a squirrel that guards their house?
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "SECRET SQUIRREL ")
UNIDENTIFIED SINGER: What an agent. What a squirrel. He's got the country in a whirl. What's his name? Secret Squirrel. He's got tricks up his sleeve most bad guys won't believe - a bullet proof coat, a cannon hat, machine gun cane with a rat tat tat tat. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.