Washington: Couple sues wildlife officials for taking pet raccoon

WASHINGTON -- A West Seattle couple is suing the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for seizing their pet raccoon.

"She's part of our family. She doesn't know any different. Since her eyes were open we have been her mom and dad," Kellie Greer said.

Kellie and her husband, Chris, started caring for Mae as a newborn. Kellie found her at a park with her eyes still closed, smaller than the size of her fist. She saw a dead adult raccoon nearby and assumed that was the baby's mother.

The couple tried calling all available wildlife rehab centers, but to no avail. No one would take Mae. According to the lawsuit, Wolftown on Vashon Island agreed to let the couple become a "sub-permitee" if they agreed to follow rules like keeping Mae on a leash when outside and building an outdoor enclosure.

However, Wolftown closed a few years ago and that means the permit is no longer valid.

It's been seven years, and Mae is now part of the family. She is potty-trained with a litter box, walks on leash, has a special hammock outside and even goes camping with the Greers. The couple has also been taking the raccoon to an exotic animal vet in Bothell for the last seven years, sometimes twice a year.

"You have to fill the bath tub so she can play with water and her toys. The cat won't jump in the bathtub. Mae needs that," Chris said.

The couple says they never knew they were doing anything wrong. They never tried to hide Mae who became a part of their neighborhood. They also crossed paths many times with law enforcement and never received any complaints, they say.

"For most every time the Greers went camping with Mae during white-tailed deer season in October/November from 2010 through 2016, inclusive, WDFW game wardens observed the Greers with Mae when asking them to produce tags for fish and wildlife taken during those trips.

Instead of citing, threatening to cite, warning, or otherwise admonishing the Greers against keeping her, the wardens fawned over her, took pictures with her, and, thus, encouraged the Greers to continue keeping the clearly tamed and human-friendly raccoon.

When at the campground, Mae was in a harness and always under control, never constituting a nuisance," the lawsuit reads.

A recent camping trip changed everything.

A WDFW officer spotted Mae and took information from the Greers. Then last Sunday, another officer showed up at their West Seattle home and took Mae.

"I thought he was there to investigate. I never thought he would take her," Kellie cried. "I'm supposed to work 10 to 5 and I've been working 9 to 8 because I don't want to be at home. She is so much a part of my life. I get up in the morning and kiss her and scratch her head."

 

 

WDFW found a rehab center in Quilcene to take Mae as an education animal, but the couple's attorney argues the Greers have a legal right to keep Mae. She's no longer wild, they say, and after seven years the Greers own her.

WDFW sent KING the following statement:

"On November 26th, a WDFW Enforcement officer seized a raccoon from Mr. and Mrs. Greer as it is illegal for the public to possess live wildlife in Washington without a valid permit. The raccoon was transported to a wildlife rehabilitation center where it received medical care and was held until today, when it was transported to another rehabilitation center and will be held under their permit for education purposes.

"While we understand that the family is upset by the loss, the department has no permit that would allow for the personal possession of wildlife as a pet, so we are therefore pleased that have been able to locate a rehabilitation center that is willing to hold the animal.

"An attorney for the Greer family has filed a complaint for declaratory and injunctive release against the state, seeking the return of the raccoon to the family. Because of the lawsuit, the department is unable to provide any further comment at this time."

The raccoon's seizure comes just a couple weeks after three fawns and an elk calf were taken from a Rochester wildlife rehab and killed, sparking a mass public outcry.

In that case, the animals were scheduled for release in the spring but WDFW said the animals were too habituated to humans. For the Greers, Mae belongs at home with them.

"I feel like I failed her. I've provided care her entire life," Kellie said.

"She's imprinted on us. She's part of our family and her pack is at home," Chris added.

The Greers have set up a fundraising page to help bring Mae home.

YouCaring: Bring Mae Home
For: Mae, Kellie, and Chris Greer
Seattle, WA
Organizer: Adam Karp
$3,000 of $5,000 goal. Raised by 87 donors

Kellie and Chris Greer of West Seattle filed suit against the State of Washington and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife in the Thurston County Superior Court, No. 17-2-06464-34, seeking the return of Mae, an orphaned raccoon they saved in 2010 and with whom she has lived for over seven years only to be seized by WDFW on November 26, 2017. To read the Complaint and other filings as they unfold in the civil litigation, go to www.facebook.com/groups/bringmaehome.

To assist with the litigative efforts, donations are sought. However, they are not tax deductible, not refundable, and provide no right to information about, or to control, the case. Nor do they create an attorney-client relationship. However, the pleadings are public record and may be shared on the Bring Mae Home page.

Your donation will help the Greers in their legal efforts to bring Mae home. Funds will aid in paying litigation expenses, such as filing fees, service fees, depositions, expert fees, and attorney's fees. We are ever so grateful for your compassion.

Unused funds will be donated to a 501c3 animal-related nonprofit(s) in the discretion of Adam P. Karp.

(WTSP - Dec 9, 2017)

Related:

• Facebook group "Bring Mae Home"
• The lawsuit filed by the Greers

(October 2017) Tennessee: Animal Control officers find kitten and baby raccoon cuddling together inside dumpster

TENNESSEE -- Knoxville Police Department - TN added 3 new photos to Facebook October 18, 2017 ·

Knoxville Police Department Animal Control Officer Nick Powell responded recently to a call of an animal stuck in a dumpster at the E-911 Center on Bernard Avenue.

 

 

When Officer Powell looked inside the dumpster he located two unusual companions - a kitten and a baby raccoon - cuddled in the corner keeping each other warm. Both animals were rescued by Animal Control Officer Powell.

UPDATE: The raccoon was relocated and released. The kitten was transported to Young Williams Animal Center.

If they're saying it's a baby raccoon, doesn't that mean it's too young to be on its own? Shouldn't it be sent to a wildlife rehabilitator first? 

Illinois: Chubby Raccoon Rescued By Police and Animal Control After Getting Wedged In Sewer Grate Opening

ILLINOIS -- Illinois police officers responded to aW very unique call Friday (Nov. 3) morning.

A raccoon, who Zion police believe “has been eating a little too well,” got caught in a sewer grate.

 

Animal Control officer R. Knorr and Zion Police Officer K. Vaugh were unable to remove him and had to request help “from the real heroes over at the Zion Public Works Department.” They were able to free the raccoon and he was not injured.

Zion police posted photos of the rescue to their Facebook page, adding that Officer Vaughn was more scared of the raccoon that it was of him. Good work guys!

(5NewsOnline - Nov 4, 2017)

Virginia: Portsmouth Police Department officers go out of their way to help animals

VIRGINIA -- A police officer rescued a baby squirrel on Tuesday.

The Portsmouth Police Department tweeted that Master Police Officer J. Worley rescued the 5-week-old at the 500 block of Spectator St.

The little fellow has been given the name, "Speckles of Spectator."

The police department said that the baby squirrel was taken to a wildlife rehabilitator with the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

The rehabber believed the squirrel probably opened its eyes for the first time a few days before the officer rescued him.

Speckles is on his way to recovery, and he is safe and happy.

This isn't the first time someone from the Portsmouth Police Department rescued a little critter!

Back in June:

Portsmouth Police Department added 3 new photos to Facebook on
June 17, 2017 ·

Today was a most eventful day for several of our Uniform Patrol and Animal Control Officers in the City of Portsmouth.

At approximately 12:30 p.m., Officer Saunders, responded to the 1300 block of Highland Avenue for an injured opossum on the side of the road.

Unfortunately, the opossum had suffered fatal injuries and passed away. However, Officer Saunders noticed that the opossum appeared to have a pouch. Upon further investigation, Officer Saunders located 11 baby opossums inside the pouch and rescued them. He then turned the babies over to Animal Control for care.

Shortly after Officer Saunders rescued the baby opossums, Animal Control Officer Currie located and rescued a pet pig that had gotten loose in the 4000 block of County Street. The pet pig was taken to the Human Society and the owner located.

And finally, Officer Conn located and rescued a baby bird shortly after 3:30 p.m. in the 3400 block of Columbia Street. The baby bird had fallen from its nest in a tree.

Thanks to these officers, the animals they rescued are now safe from harm and will get the care they need to survive. #PPD #UP1stPlatoon #WildlifeRescue #ADayInTheLifeOfAPatrolOfficer

Portsmouth Police Department posted on Facebook June 21, 2017 ·

HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SUMMER!!!

Here's a little story to warm your heart this morning....

On Friday, June 16, 2017, just before 7:00 a.m., Officers C. Hawes and E. Sjoberg responded to the 1500 block of Ward Terrace for a baby raccoon stuck under the wheel well of a citizen's vehicle.

 

The officers worked diligently to free the scared raccoon. Finally, Officer Sjoberg was able to get the baby raccoon out safe and sound.

Way to go Officers Sjoberg and Hawes for answering the call to help save this baby raccoon. And thank you to the citizen who noticed the baby raccoon and called for help. #PPD #WildlifeRescues

(13NewsNow - August 30, 2017)

Connecticut: Animal Control rescues raccoon with aluminum can stuck on its head

CONNECTICUT -- New London's animal control department came to the rescue of a young raccoon in distress earlier this week.

On Monday, it posted a photo of the animal with a can stuck on its head.

Animal control officers said they were able to "un-can" the animal and release it, with its mother keeping a close eye from the bushes a short distance away.

"This little guy thanked me for liberating him by growling at me, charging at me, and nearly causing me to fall on my butt while backing up and trying to keep an eye on momma, who was upset that I made her little angel angry," animal control posted to its Facebook page.

But at the end of the day, the little raccoon was just fine.

The post went on to remind people to properly pick up their trash and make sure cans and dumpsters are closed.

(WFSB - July 14, 2017)

New York: Someone found a baby raccoon and brought it into a bar so the health department killed 12 more that hadn't been touched by humans

NEW YORK -- Apparently someone found a baby raccoon and thought it was a good idea to bring it in to Mr. Quiggleys Saloon in Lockport on June 2. During the visit, the health department says several people handled and petted the baby raccoon.

Investigators found that the baby raccoon was one of 13 found on Donner Road in the Town of Pendleton.

Of those 13, one was found dead and 12 others were killed. Of course the health department claims that because the one baby raccoon was handled, they just HAD to kill all the others. And because the dead one was too decomposed to be tested for rabies, they are presuming that EVERYONE who touched the baby raccoon in the bar has been exposed to rabies and they want them to all begin post-exposure rabies shots.

There was no need to kill all the baby raccoons as there was no proof that any human had handled them. The only one they knew had been handled was the one in the bar. So kill that one and test it for rabies. If it comes back negative, they'll know that the people in the bar weren't exposed to rabies. And the other orphaned baby raccoons could have been sent to a wildlife rehabilitator.

This, though, is typical of most health departments and wildlife officers who work for state Fish & Game agencies. Kill everything.

If you find an orphaned animal that is one of the high-risk rabies carriers (raccoons, skunks, foxes, coyotes), be sure not to handle it. Find a wildlife rehabilitator who is licensed to have them and have them come and get it. Otherwise, the state will take it from you and kill it.

Canada: Raccoon is rescued after getting its head stuck in sewer grate

CANADA -- A raccoon was found with its head lodged in a sewer grate in Canada.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Welland, Ontario, was contacted by a girl who spotted the raccoon's head poking out of the grate.

   

 

The furry creature was caught on camera by SPCA officials wiggling its tiny legs out of the square hole.  

When SPCA officials arrived at the scene, they found the adult animal distressed and struggling to escape.

The rescue footage shows SPCA officials attempting to free the unfortunate mammal by removing the grate with various tools, including a sledgehammer, Jaws of Life and crowbars.

 

 

'Finally, it was just through sheer force we were able to push his head back the other way,' John Greer with the Welland SPCA told InsideEdition.

The furry critter was taken to an animal hospital and released in a grassy field with no serious injuries.

Raccoons travel through sewer system tunnels, but it's unclear how the black-and-white creature got stuck.

'If nobody noticed him, he would have died of starvation,' said Greer. 'Sometimes they fight so much he could have turned a certain way and suffocated himself.'

(Daily Mail - April 3, 2017)

Virginia: Raccoon Gets Stuck on Trash Truck, Hitches Ride Around Town

VIRGINIA -- Mondays, right? Sometimes you’re the truck, and sometimes you’re the raccoon.

Whether you’re one of the downtrodden members of society or simply a smaller ground mammal that makes its way through the world picking through trash, life can be hard.

Just ask this unnamed (He looks like a “Clive” though, doesn’t he?) procyonid, who was snapped mean-mugging drivers from the back of a garbage truck in Arlington, Virginia.

Seems he’d scaled what must have seemed to him like a mobile buffet, only to get trapped in the ladder on the truck’s rear.

Politico reporter Helena B. Evich made the initial sighting and contacted the company, which eventually worked together with the local Falls Church Police Department to release the little guy into Larry Graves Park.

“It was as gentle as it could be,” Susan Finarelli, a spokeswoman for the city of Falls Church, told the Washington Post. “We can confirm the raccoon is unharmed and was removed safely for all,” Anna Wilkinson, a spokeswoman for American Disposal Services, added.

It’s a hard world for little things, especially trash pandas.

(People.com - Feb 20, 2017)

Michigan: Raccoon with arrow in its ear rescued by Public Safety Officers

MICHIGAN -- Kalamazoo Public Safety Officers were able to help a raccoon that had taken refuge under the deck of a home in the 2300 Block of Hazel Avenue after it was shot in the ear with a hunting arrow.

The homeowner contacted Kalamazoo Public Safety Sunday about the injured animal found shot with a carbon fiber arrow, commonly used for hunting, according to a news release from the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety.

The arrow was through the base of the raccoon's right ear; the raccoon had also become entangled with rope when it went under the deck.

Public Safety officers were able to safely untangle the rope from the raccoon and remove the arrow from the raccoon's ear.

This incident remains under investigation and authorities remind that city ordinance 7-9 forbids hunting or trapping wildlife at any time within the city limits.

(MLive - Oct 24, 2016)

New Jersey: Rabid raccoon attacked child in Mansfield, police say

NEW JERSEY -- A rabid raccoon bit a toddler on the thigh child at a home on Axe Factory Road on Wednesday afternoon, police said Friday.

The raccoon attack was unprovoked, police Chief Ronald Mulhall said. He said it was his understanding that the child's father fended off the animal, and that the incident was reported that evening.

An animal control officer responded, and the animal tested positive for rabies. The child, who is under age 2, is undergoing treatment and is doing well, Mulhall said.

The police are wary of exposures to rabid animals at Crystal Lake Park, a county park bordering Axe Factory Road. The department hadn't received any other reports of encounters, the chief said.

While unprovoked attacks are rare, authorities urge anyone who has encountered a potentially rabid animal to call the local police.

(Burlington County Times - Oct 21, 2016)

NYPD’s elite cops no match for frisky raccoon

NEW YORK -- The city’s most elite cops were no match for this masked perp.

A rascally raccoon repeatedly outfoxed New York’s Finest on a busy Brooklyn street Tuesday — to the delight of spectators who cheered on the critter.

 

All photos: Paul Martinka

The NYPD deployed two officers from its Emergency Service Unit, a force trained to deal with hostage situations and other high-risk scenarios, to capture the animal, which was stuck in the retractable metal door at Finest Furniture 2 in Flatbush.

The cops arrived at around 12:20 p.m., and started the hunt by attempting to snag the raccoon with catch poles.

 

 

Scoffing at their feeble efforts, the frisky fellow slid down the glass storefront on its belly, landed on its feet and scurried underneath a white Toyota Camry parked about 20 feet away.

Both officers ran to the street, getting down on their hands and knees while trying to push the pest out.

A crowd of about 50 people gathered as the duo desperately tried for the next two hours to catch the beady-eyed bandit.

At one point, an elderly man walked up and offered to help the struggling cops, telling them, “I’m a hunter. I can catch it.”

The cops shooed him away and instead decided to remove the right rear tire of the sedan in hopes of finally getting their hands on the raccoon.

 

  

But the slippery animal again evaded capture — this time by darting up a tree while the highly trained cops desperately tried to lasso it.

One officer managed to get his rope near the raccoon’s body, but it wasn’t enough to stop it from scaling the tree and perching itself about 30 feet up from the ground.

By 2:45 p.m., less than 10 minutes after the raccoon scampered up the tree, the cops finally gave up on putting the persistent pest behind bars.

 

 

They retreated back to the car, where they reattached the tire and then packed up the rest of their equipment — including a small cage — and left.

The relieved raccoon kicked back on one of the branches, letting its feet hang off while it took a brief snooze.

(NYPost - Aug 24, 2016)