Raccoon Euthanized in Maine after Pet Store Visit: Rabies Scare

A raccoon was euthanized in the state of Maine (USA) after being brought by a woman to a pet store to have its claws cut.

This is euthanasia that could have been avoided. The American press reports the story of a raccoon euthanized and tested against rabies after being transported by a woman to a pet store in the state of Maine (USA) on May 23.

The animal, which is a wild species widely present in North America, was brought to a pet store in the city of Auburn to have its claws cut. Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife spokesman Mark Latti said the woman wanted the animal’s claws trimmed. A service that the pet store of the Petco franchise does not provide.

A major risk of rabies transmission

On site, the raccoon, which is still only a baby, quickly attracts the sympathy of certain customers, who caress and kiss it. Actions that represent a danger to public health: raccoons are one of the main species carrying the rabies virus in the state of Maine.

“When the store manager was alerted to the presence of the raccoon, he asked the woman who had the animal to leave the store and contacted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Guard. civilian Maine,” the department added.

The woman still wanted by the authorities

Quickly recovered by the authorities, the raccoon was eventually tested negative for rabies, but had to be euthanized due to local laws. “Animals subjected to screening tests must be euthanized”, explains the American CDC to the local press, also recalling that it is forbidden to own a wild animal in the State of Maine and that, under no circumstances, must , attempt to carry, feed or move one. “If you want to take care of them, leave them in their place,” he says.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife later posted a message on social media saying they were still looking for the woman who brought the raccoon.

On the side of the population, the agency indicated that it advised people who had been in contact with the animal to get closer to their doctor, in order to be tested for other diseases and bacteria potentially transmitted by the raccoon. .