Santa's furry little helper: Meet Junior Hale the squirrel

Pensacola, Florida (PNJ) -- With beady black eyes, a bushy tail and an appetite for anything nutty, Junior Hale might seem like a typical squirrel.

But this furry little guy is more of a human than a wild animal and enjoys dressing up, meeting new people, eating Snickers bars and taking naps in the car with his "Dad."

But this furry little guy is more of a human than a wild animal and enjoys dressing up, meeting new people, eating Snickers bars and taking naps in the car with his "Dad."

"He doesn't even know he's a squirrel," said Karen Hale, who has raised the animal since he was about 2 months old with her husband, John. "He's just part of the family."

After they found Junior at the T & W Flea Market in West Pensacola about eight months ago and were unable to locate his mother, the couple decided to take him in and raise him as their own.

He's been a member of the family since day one.

"I hold him and spend a lot of time with him, so he's bonded with me and thinks of me as his dad," John Hale said.

In the spirit of Christmas, the Hales recently dressed Junior up in a Santa costume (which came off a Chick-fil-A stuffed cow) to have his pictures taken with Santa at the flea market where he was found.

"I've seen a lot of things, but I don't know if I've ever actually seen a real live squirrel wearing a Santa outfit," John Hale said.

And even Alvin the chipmunk has nothing on this little guy's ability to spread joy and Christmas cheer this holiday season.

"He definitely spreads love, there's no doubt," Karen Hale said. "I think that he would put smiles on everybody's faces."

Don't jump to conclusions, though - Junior's favorite Christmas song doesn't involve chestnuts roasting on an open fire or squeaky chipmunks singing about wanting a hula hoop for Christmas.

"Probably 'Here Comes Santa Claus,' " Karen Hale said. "I think that if I have to think for him, that would be his favorite song. When he comes into a room, he is the center of attention - most definitely the center of attention."

Adorable little guy

The Hales said that even though he can be a little nutty, Junior is loved everywhere he goes because of his curious personality and sweet nature.

"He's just a real sweet little guy," John Hale said. "He gets plenty of love from everybody. He's cute. He can't help it."

But even Junior's adorable nature can't keep some critics away, and some of them question whether the Hales should keep Junior captive and walk him with a leash.

"People always say, 'How do you teach him to be tame?' and I say, 'They don't learn to be tame. They learn to be wild,' " John Hale said.

Stan Kirkland, spokesman for the Northwest region of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said it isn't illegal to keep a gray squirrel in captivity in Florida and it doesn't require a permit. But he said the FWC recommends releasing the squirrel or transferring it to an animal rehab facility until it's able to survive in the wild.

"With any animal that can be rehabbed, it's just a good idea that once those animals are capable of survival on their own that they be returned to the wild," Kirkland said. "That's just a recommended practice."

But the Hales said they have done a lot of research about raising a squirrel in captivity, including what to feed Junior to give him the proper nutrients, and they have no plans to release him into the wild.

"Seeing as how we raised him from a baby, I think it would be in his best interest to stay with us," Karen Hale said. "He just doesn't have that wild nature."

Susan Leveille, director of education for the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge in Fort Walton Beach, said that she would highly recommend rehabilitating the squirrel to be released into the wild.

"You can never really quite provide for them the kind of life they would have in the wild," Leveille said. "You're never able to achieve that in captivity."

Part of the family

But the Hales said that Junior is a rambunctious, happy squirrel who loves playing, going on outings and just being affectionate with his human family.

"I didn't know when we got him that squirrels have such a personality, with their facial expressions and their mannerisms," John Hale said. "They'll rub on you like a cat when they're affectionate."

Karen Hale said that Junior even has his own climbing tree in the house, and they make sure he has plenty of pecans, nuts and pine cones to chew on and keep his teeth in use.

"You want to keep his natural instincts," Karen Hale said. "You don't want to take everything away from him."

One thing's for sure - Junior's family and almost everyone he meets go nuts for him.

"He's very, very loveable," Karen Hale said. "He'll give love. He receives love - I can't even imagine how much love he's received. I couldn't ask for anything better."