Remember When: Woman Brings Wild Raccoon to Maine, Petco

Let's start this off by saying that it is illegal to possess wildlife in Maine, according to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife. In addition, Petco does NOT offer nail trimming services or any beauty treatments to raccoons or animals just brought in from the wild.

That being said, whether you can believe it or not, the following story did happen recently!

An incident occurred in 2023 involving a raccoon at Petco in Auburn. A woman brought a wild raccoon into the store, seeking a nail trim for her little friend.

Since this happened, it has been determined that the raccoon has tested negative for rabies, and anyone who came in contact with the little creature does not need to seek treatment for rabies exposure, according to the update on the post.

It is illegal to possess wildife in Maine, and Petco does not trim raccoon nails.
Maine Dept of Wildlife

However, the Maine Warden Service is still asking for your help to identify the woman who brought the juvenile raccoon into the Petco on Mt. Auburn Ave on Tuesday, May 23, at around 1:30 pm.

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife Facebook Page

The woman captured in the above photo entered the store with a wild raccoon, seeking to have its nails trimmed.

While she was waiting, numerous individuals interacted with and even KISSED the raccoon.

The moment the manager was alerted that there was a wild animal in the store, they promptly asked the woman to leave and contacted the Maine CDC and Maine Warden Service immediately.

Here's the thing guys, raccoons are one of the most common carriers of rabies in Maine. Left unchecked, rabies can be lethal if untreated. So if you remember giving a big old kiss to that raccoon, call your doctor!

KEEP IN MIND:

"Always enjoy wildlife from a distance, Never approach or handle wildlife, Never feed wildlife, Never attempt to move a wild animal." -Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife

If you have any information on the woman or you are her, please contact the Maine Warden Service immediately.

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Gallery Credit: TSM