A Maine woman requested a Petco groomer to clip the nails of a baby racoon, and now the wild animal has been euthanized.
This past Tuesday, a woman entered the Auburn Petco store around 1:30 p.m holding a baby racoon, according to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife’s Facebook page. Different customers handled the racoon and some even kissed it. This sparked fear for the Petco manager considering the fact that raccoons are the most common carriers for rabies in Maine.
The manager of the Petco then asked the woman to leave and called the Maine CDC and the Maine Warden Service.
“It is illegal to possess wildlife in Maine, and Petco does not trim raccoon nails,” according to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife.
Authorities initially called on patrons exposed to the raccoon to contact their health care provider for rabies testing.
“Rabies is spread through a rabid animal’s saliva or neural tissue, and a person can be exposed when that saliva or neural tissue of a rabid animal comes in contact with a person through a bite or scratch, cut in the skin, or gets into the eyes, nose, or mouth,” the post read.
The racoon tested negative for rabies but had to be euthanized for the testing.
Racoons are typically timid around humans but are known to attack if they are cornered or are protecting their babies. However, with their habitat being encroached by humans, the wildlife is less afraid.
Breitbart reported in December that a racoon attacked a girl in Connecticut. The creature attached itself to her leg.
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries advises people to never approach or handle wildilfe and to just enjoy them at a distance.