Squirrel wrecks couple's home while away on holiday and insurance won't pay

In Atlanta, a couple say they returned from their holidays to find their home had been completely wrecked by a squirrel. Their insurance company, Mercury, says nope-- squirrel damage is not covered. The couple has launched a GoFundMe. No word on the squirrel.

TODAY AT 5: A local family came home from vacation to find wood damage throughout...caused by a squirrel! Why their insurance carrier won't cover the damage. pic.twitter.com/gh576P7HAY

- Mike Petchenik (@MPetchenikWSB) January 6, 2020

Kari and Dustin Drees purchased the home, their first, just in December in Atlanta's upscale Buckhead neighborhood.

Weeks later, off they went to visit family for the holidays.

While they were away, their home alarm system went off, signaling a possible intruder.

"We had a friend come check it out and our doors and windows were intact, so we just thought it was a software issue," Ms. Drees said.

No windows or doors breached.

And yet.

They returned to a home with scratched up floors, chewed up baseboards -- even the kitchen sink was left running, Kari Drees told reporters.

Who did it?

A furry little asshole with a long tail.

From the Associated Press:

A squirrel had fallen down their chimney and was trapped in the house, defecating and scratching at everything to get out. Eventually it made a nest in the couple's couch. "We're stressed at first, but we were like, 'This is why you have homeowner's insurance. It's in situations like this.' ... and so we weren't too stressed," Kari Drees said.

But the couple's home insurance provider Mercury Insurance, told them it wouldn't cover the damages because "a squirrel is a rodent," which is not covered under the policy. A representative from Mercury told news outlets that the contract "explicitly stated" the insurance does not cover damages by rodents. The couple was told if a raccoon destroyed the house, the damages would have been covered.

Still no love from Mercury Insurance, according to followup reports -- so the couple have launched a GoFundMe page to help cover some of the costs of repairs. No, I will not link to it.

Here's a video interview with Ms. Drees from 11alive.com.