Forkers Central

Yesterday a raccoon was on our porch when we woke up. I thought it was just trying to get out of the rain, but it let us get really close to it, so we figured it was sick. Then while we were eating breakfast it went away, but we called animal control anyway just in case.

So when I got back from class at lunch it was laying on the grass, and first I thought it was dead because it had flies all around it. But then I went up to it and saw it was breathing, so I went in and called animal control again. (at this point I am crying cause I feel so bad for it and I can't help it. It looked so pathetic with all those flies on it). Now they put out a second dispatch. After I ate lunch I went out to check on it, and it had crawled out to the middle of my driveway, blocking it. Now I had to lure it the side of the driveway so I could get back to school for class.

When I come home it's at the edge of the drive, almost in the street and it's kind of teetering around. My neighbors' kid is outside so I tell him to go inside and make sure his dog doesn't get out. Now I feel so bad for it I don't know what to do. I finally go inside to call them for the third time, when the van pulls up. So I ask the guy if they automatically euthanize all the animals or if they at least try to treat them, and he said they pretty much kill them all unless its just a minor injury that can heal itself. Then he got him into a cage and took him.

the guy who came to get the raccoon said he probably had a virus called distemper, so I looked it up last night. It said if it had distemper the raccoon would have discharge from its eyes (it did) and seem to be disoriented and wander aimlessly (it did) and it would be skinny with mangy fur (it was). It also said distemper is usually fatal, and the effects arent reversible. so even if it survived, it would have walked funny and been disoriented for the rest of its life. so i feel better knowing they probably put him to sleep and he won't have to suffer.

I named him Mr. Bojangles. Poor Mr. Bojangles. I hope he gets reincarnated as a dog so he can get his distemper vaccine. I love raccoons and their little hands. They're so smart and slick looking with their little mask and stripey tails.

RIP Mr. Bojangles.

I love raccoon hands, too.

- Mere "maybe Roach has distemper because I have seen him thin and disoriented -- but not mangy" 1975

Poor Mr. Bojangles, Racoon Friend.

awww....that's sad.

I used to have a pet racoon. We named him Rocky. He was a baby (well, a juvenile) and didn't get along well with the dogs but they didn't try to kill him. When he got big we let him go in the wild.

The end.

Every sad story needs a happy one to balance it out.

He'll probably be reincarnated as one of the punk raccoons that comes and terrorizes our porch. It's not unusual to see between 5 and 12 of the young turks rolling around on the patio and taking turns scraping grease out of the trap on our grill. They seem to have a blast.

He'll probably be reincarnated as one of the punk raccoons that comes and terrorizes our porch. It's not unusual to see between 5 and 12 of the young turks rolling around on the patio and taking turns scraping grease out of the trap on our grill. They seem to have a blast.

are they the same ones that drink your beer and blast Black Flag when you're at work?

O God, ease our suffering in this, our moment of great dispair. Yea, admit this kind and decent mr. bojangles into thy arms of thine heavenly area, up there. And Moab, he lay us upon the band of the Canaanites, and yea, though the Hindus speak of karma, I implore you: give mr bojangles a break.

He'll probably be reincarnated as one of the punk raccoons that comes and terrorizes our porch.

Punk rockoons.

- Mere "" 1975

All raccoons go to heaven. Even though they spread rabies.

most raccoons die if you release them to the wild after you raise them because they don't have survival skills.

*read that on the net when i was considering a pet raccoon last night*

only one human death has ever been recorded as a result of contact with a raccoon.

hows that for media over-exposure and fear-mongering?

I imagine that single death occurred right after this raccoon jumped over to the birdcage and brained its owner.