Bar owner thought she was looking at a dog until she got closer, what actually walked through the door left everyone in shock

A baby fur seal walked into a craft beer bar in Richmond, New Zealand and made itself comfortable under the dishwasher. The seal wandered into Sprig + Fern The Meadows bar and decided it was the perfect place to take a nap. The little visitor was clearly lost and curious, and it had no plans to leave anytime soon.

According to HuffPost, co-owner Bella Evans runs a pet-friendly bar, so she’s used to seeing animals walk through the door. When the small creature waddled in on a rainy Sunday evening, she thought it was just another dog. But when she looked closer, she realized it was a marine mammal that had traveled far from the coast.

“Everyone was in shock,” Evans said. “Oh my gosh. What do we do? What’s going on?” The baby fur seal wasn’t interested in going anywhere. A customer grabbed a sweater and tried to guide the animal out the back door, but the seal escaped like a professional. It ran into a bathroom and then squeezed itself under the bar’s dishwasher. The staff quickly unplugged the machine to keep everyone safe.

The baby seal refused to leave and found the perfect hiding spot

After the initial panic, the staff came up with a plan. Another customer rushed home and brought back a dog crate, but they still needed to get the seal out from under the dishwasher. Evans realized they already had the perfect solution on hand. Similar to how restaurant owners handle unexpected situations, the bar staff had to think quickly on their feet.

“I just went to my fiancé, I said, grab the salmon! Grab the salmon!” Evans said. The pub was serving salmon as a pizza topping special that day, so they used it as bait to lure the seal out.

Conservation rangers from the Department of Conservation arrived soon after. Evans learned that the bar was actually their fourth call that day about the same wandering seal. The rangers had been driving around the neighborhood trying to find the animal all day.

Helen Otley, a spokesperson for the Department of Conservation, said this kind of thing happens more often than people think. New Zealand’s conservation programs have helped seal and sea lion populations grow, which means they come into contact with humans more frequently.

Young seals go through a “silly season” where they explore new areas. They follow rivers and streams up to nine miles inland and often show up in strange places like golf courses or busy roads. Otley said the bar staff “did a great job keeping the seal safe” until help arrived.

The seal, which staff named Fern, was safely released on nearby Rabbit Island, a protected area where dogs aren’t allowed. Evans has only owned the pub for a few months, and Fern was her first patron she had to kick out. When unexpected visitors show up at businesses, owners often find themselves in situations that defy belief. The staff now jokes that the bar has gotten “the seal of approval,” and the salmon is definitely staying on the menu.