Raccoon Killed In Erie County After Couple Takes It To Pet Store

A raccoon is dead after a couple in Erie County decided to take it to a pet store to shop for food. The poor little 'trash panda' was executed by wildlife officials in order to test it for rabies, which can only be done after it is dead (which seems like a severely flawed method of testing). The test came back negative. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's Division of Law Enforcement reported the crime on Wednesday, June 22, 2022.

Capture raccoon, which was executed. (NY Department of Environmental Conservation's Division)

According to the NY Department of Health,

Rabies is a viral disease which almost always leads to death, unless treatment is provided soon after exposure. New York State frequently leads the nation in the number of rabid animals.

Photo by Gary Bendig on Unsplash

The unidentified man and his girlfriend went to a pet store with the raccoon to get supplies and food. The animal, which is considered 'wildlife' by New York State, was reported by a store employee.

Using store surveillance cameras, a store-issued rewards card, and license plate information, ECO Damrath tracked down the raccoon's owner to Attica in Wyoming County and convinced the subject to turn over the raccoon.

While the raccoon suffered the ultimate consequence, the couple only face a $500 fine each for unlawfully possessing the raccoon.

Photo by Chalo Garcia on Unsplash

I'll admit it, I follow a few pages that are legal raccoon sanctuaries and I love watching the trash pandas. They are quite intelligent, which is why it's so sad that this raccoon had to die due to humans' lack of intelligence. If you doubt that raccoons are smart (and more polite than most humans) take a look at this video.

Credit: ViralHog via Youtube