Injured raccoon, animal control closed, cops won't help

An hour ago I saw a raccoon just outside the back door of my condo. It has a gash in it's head, and it's sitting with it's head on the ground and is shaking. So I called animal control and got a message that it was after hours. So I called the local police and told them that there is an injured and possibly sick raccoon outside that hasn't moved for a while, and that there are a ton of kids that play back there, as well as a ton of people who walk dogs back there. The people in my condo have to use that back door to walk their dogs. I threw some fruit and bread near it, so it will hopefully stay put for a few more minutes while the police get someone to come out and get it, then I put a note on the door to let people know to not use that door or walk their dogs, and that animal control had been notified.

I went back there a few minutes ago, and it's still in the same spot, shaking and not eating any of the stuff I threw out there. I called the police back and asked what was going on, and she told me that someone already came out and determined that the gash on it's head was an old wound, and that it wasn't in any kind of distress. So no one will be back out to do anything about it. I repeated that it's in bad shape, could be sick, and that there are a lot of young kids that play out there. She just sounded annoyed and repeated that it isn't in distress and nothing is going to be done. I don't know what else I can do, and the only thing that comes to mind is to put it down, with a shot to the head before a dog or a child get's bit by an obviously unhealthy raccoon, but I only have a pellet rifle, so that's out of the question. Do I have any other options?

Oh my goodness! The only other thing I could think of to do would be to put on some thick gloves and clothing, and nudge him gently into a cat carrier or a box with small air holes in it. If you're unable to do that, putting it down would be best. End his pain and suffering. I'm so sorry.:(

drop it ina cooler with CO2 if no one is going to nurse it back to health

depending on the gash if the gash isnt that sever use thick gloves and try to put neosporin on the wound for now see what happens

you dont want to tangle with a sick raccoon and if its just sitting out in the day light its not going to make it. this sounds completely inhumane, but its what is right and is the safest in that environment. Dont shoot him, use a shovel and end his life quickly.

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Originally Posted by abuja

Oh my goodness! The only other thing I could think of to do would be to put on some thick gloves and clothing, and nudge him gently into a cat carrier or a box with small air holes in it. If you're unable to do that, putting it down would be best. End his pain and suffering. I'm so sorry.:(

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Originally Posted by th3jok3r

drop it ina cooler with CO2 if no one is going to nurse it back to health

depending on the gash if the gash isnt that sever use thick gloves and try to put neosporin on the wound for now see what happens

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I hear what you're saying, but I'm not touching a huge, possibly rabid raccoon.

Even if they were convince that there was nothing wrong with it, which there obviously is, why wouldn't they relocate it or something, so it doesn't attack someone's dog, or bite a kid?

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Originally Posted by neilgolli

you dont want to tangle with a sick raccoon and if its just sitting out in the day light its not going to make it. this sounds completely inhumane, but its what is right and is the safest in that environment. Dont shoot him, use a shovel and end his life quickly.

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That sounds more humane than letting it sit there like that, but since they came out and certified it as being fine, couldn't I get in some kind of trouble for animal abuse or cruelty or something?

Edit: I don't own a shovel or a bat or anything that would be capable of killing it with one blow, and I don't want to piss it off, or have to bash the thing repeatedly.

Maybe there is a vet clinic nearby that could help. I would try it. If nothing else they should have a tranq gun. Maybe they could get it to a zoo or something that deals with wildlife.

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Originally Posted by neilgolli

you dont want to tangle with a sick raccoon and if its just sitting out in the day light its not going to make it. this sounds completely inhumane, but its what is right and is the safest in that environment. Dont shoot him, use a shovel and end his life quickly.

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THIS!
I thought the same thing.

good luck :gj:

Call (847)602-0628 for animal emergencies.

Here is the number for an animal rescue in your area try them i will try to dig up some more

Mike

ABC Humane Wildlife Rescue

Downers Grove, IL 60516
(630) 910-0200

Is this close to you?


I googled "Wildlife rescue woodridge, IL" and got 10 more rescues

Mike

I hope something worked out.

I would never try to touch a injured raccoon.. I wouldn't try to touch ANY wild raccoon. You're right, it's injured and possibly rabid. Healthy raccoons don't behave that way.

Hopefully someone came out and dispatched the poor thing.

The police wouldn't do anything, they asid to just avoid the area and wait it out, and the condo president was giving me crap for feeding it, and also wanted my angry neighbor and I to just leave it. The police said that we couldn't attempt to euthanize it, either. 30 hours later, at about 2:00 in the morning (last night) it came back and fell into my neighbor's underground patio. We decided that we would wait until morning, then call the local animal and wild life rescue to come get it, so I used a 4 foot piece of PVC to rub the gash on it's head with Chlorihexadine solution, and we gave it a bowl of water and a plate of fruit, vegetables, wheat bread, cheese and oat meal.

This morning, the food was gone, but it had appearantly spent most of the night walking in circles around the patio, rubbing it's head against the walls. There was blood trails along all four sides of the patio, and it was wobbling and collapsing on it's own. The wild life rescue said that they wouldn't send anyone out, and that we would have to bring it in. We weren't about to touch it, or get close enough to give it a chance to scratch or bite us, plus it was now very obvious that it was in extremely bad shape, and had zero chance of living through another nigh, much less be rehabilitated had me managed to find a safe way to drive it to the rescue, so we contemplated either giving i a blow to the top of the head or neck with the narrow end of a cricket bat, or trying to lure it into a large Rubbermaid tub, then using the tub to euthanize it with CO2. The old crab ass lady/president of the condo came down and saw what was going on, and called the police. They told us that we couldn't use a CO2 chamber, because it was inhumane. He really wanted to shoot it, so he called backup, because there needs to be two officers present to discharge their weapons. My neighbor reminded him that the fr wall of the patio was a sliding, solid glass door, and that the ricochet would surely break the glass and go into his condo, where his elderly parents were sitting. The second cop brought our a small dog crate and a wire noose on a pole, so they could rope it and put it in the cage. The whole time he had his gun drawn and had everyone back away, and his parents go in the other room, "In case the raccoon jumped at him". They finally got it out, and into the cage, but then they ended up walking it off to the side and shooting it in the head. I'm sure it had to be put down, no matter what, but I didn't understand their issues with us doing it, and them shooting it, after they had it in a cage. :confused:

Poor critter. If anything happens like this again and no wildlife rehab/rescue place will do anything, call a pest control company. They are (or should be) used to dealing with injured/ill animals and will have the ability to humanely put it to sleep.

Man, sometimes people are just stupid. I used to be a police officer myself, but that is just nuts. I would have told you to go for it. Inhumane? A bullet to the head might be humane to a degree, but not as humane as a CO2 chamber, not to mention that any time you fire your weapon their is a possibility of liable should anything go wrong.

Granted I had to put down several animals while I was a police officer, it was not something I enjoyed much, but things like that have to be done sometimes.

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Originally Posted by DM1975

Man, sometimes people are just stupid. I used to be a police officer myself, but that is just nuts. I would have told you to go for it. Inhumane? A bullet to the head might be humane to a degree, but not as humane as a CO2 chamber, not to mention that any time you fire your weapon their is a possibility of liable should anything go wrong.

Granted I had to put down several animals while I was a police officer, it was not something I enjoyed much, but things like that have to be done sometimes.

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Exactly. I can't think of anything more humane, other than maybe nitrous oxide or nitrogen, than slowly pumping in CO2 while it's feasting on some delicious strawberries and mango slices. Once it was knocked out I would slowly increase the gas until I was 100% that the job was done. Doesn't the Humane Society say that that is the only humane way to euthanize rodents? I know that raccoons are not rodents, and being larger it would take longer, but I would think that taking my time and slowly gassing it would be about as humane as possible in that situation. I don't really have a problem with a bullet to the head, but he just seemed awfully eager to pop a cap in that 'coon. It was kind of scary thinking that a lot more cops could be just as trigger happy while they're out there every day.

I believe all the items I read about seting up CO2 chambers HAVE said not to use it for anything larger than a rat. I'm not sure why, but I do remember reading that.

I understand them getting it to the side before shooting it. Besides, this way they took care of it, you didn't get into any trouble over it, and the raccoon is finally dead and out of pain.

Animal Control should be jumped on for letting i stay there, when it was obvious the animal was in pain and damaged.

Like wolfy said, I don't think the actions of the police officers should really be criticized as much as the actions of the animal control officers.

Mike

With Illinois not being a State that recognizes the 2nd amendment the citizens can't deal with it, and the Police I'm sure won't deal with it because discharging a weapon would call for a lengthy report. You shouldn't risk touching it. If it is not dead by morning call animal control.OOps! I missed the post telling about the resolution. The cops aren't trained to handle a situation like that aside from shooting it. They did deal with it to the best of their ability. It's not pleasant to watch an animal suffer, sometimes to put it out of it's misery is all that can be done.