Woman Brings Illegal Wildlife Raccoon to Pet Shop in Maine for Grooming, Rabies Safety Measures Ensue

Raccoons are illegal from being owned in Maine, so a woman brought one in for grooming.

Safety precautions against rabies soon followed after the encounter.

Illegal Wildlife Raccoon and Rabies

On Tuesday afternoon, a woman in Auburn, Maine, brought a little raccoon into a Petco to have its nails clipped.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife deemed this to be both illegal and a bad idea.

The wildlife department posted on Facebook that Petco does not clip raccoon nails and that it is unlawful to possess wildlife in Maine.

The agency also stated that she might have exposed others to rabies as well as herself.

The raccoon was handled by a variety of persons while she waited in the shop, some of whom even kissed it, according to the authorities.

The store manager asked the woman who was holding the raccoon to leave the store after being informed about the animal and then called the Maine CDC and the Maine Warden Service.

The raccoon was tested by wildlife officials by the end of the same day; it showed no symptoms of rabies, but it was pointed out that raccoons are among the most frequent rabies carriers in Maine.

The raccoon tested negative, and those in contact were not required to seek treatment.

Rabies

Unless treated after exposure, rabies is fatal, according to wildlife officials.

When saliva or neural tissue from a rabid animal comes into touch with a human by a bite, scratch, or skin cut, or gets into the eyes, nose, or mouth, the person may become exposed to the disease.

Rabies is transferred through the saliva or neural tissue of a rabid animal.

Authorities advised locals to continue viewing wildlife, but from a distance.

The best course of action is to never approach or handle wild animals, never feed them, and never try to move them, Boston.com reports.

Raccoons as Pets

For good reason, raccoons are not frequently kept as pets.

Since they require a lot of upkeep and can be unpredictable, the majority of animal experts warn against keeping raccoons as pets.

Pet owners should be familiar with local, state, and provincial legislation before even thinking about keeping a pet raccoon.

Raccoons kept as pets are prohibited in many places, and even in those where raccoons are allowed as pets, there are numerous restrictions on their ownership.

As a case in point, certain states prohibit the importing of raccoons into other states, according to Spruce Pets.

Raccoons transmit several diseases, such as rabies, and can pose a health risk, hence states frequently forbid their adoption or possession.

Raccoons are seen as a public nuisance and an annoyance to houses and landowners in some jurisdictions like Arizona because of the animal's proximity to the population and ability to adapt easily and fast to metropolitan areas.

Nevertheless, the bulk of the country permits coon hunting, occasionally with few restrictions, like in Idaho, according to Wisevoter.