Was I right or wrong?

[GoFride]

For most of this year, my elderly next-door neighbor was feeding a large population of raccoons and would not stop despite repeated requests from me and eventually from Fish and Wildlife, which I contacted for assistance. This neighbor is an animal lover, and put out cat food, bread, and multiple water bowls. He has stated to me in the past that he has had as many as 14 raccoons at a time in his front yard (seemed proud about that). The raccoons were fighting every night and even during the day. I saw nasty fights right outside my window (including raccoon attacks on rats and stray cats attracted by the daily buffet). I had to change my work hours (could not safely get to my car in the early morning dark). I had to be so careful letting my dog (Cocker Spaniel) outside. Raccoons would hear us and come right over my fence, expecting handouts. I could not open my windows, since the raccoons would try to get in to my house through the screen, with me standing there yelling and clapping! On their third visit, Fish and Wildlife hit my neighbor with a large fine and told him that they would arrest him next time. At that point, he finally stopped! I got my hours back at work. I can let Andy run and play outside again. However, I have this persistent feeling of guilt. Other than the raccoon issue, my neighbor is a really sweet old guy, and now I've lost that friendship. He also struggles to get by on limited funds. I'm sure that fine hurt him, financially. So, your opinions please - was I right to report him? Was I wrong? Did I overlook some better way to deal with this situation?

[omglolchrisss]

For most of this year, my elderly next-door neighbor was feeding a large population of raccoons and would not stop despite repeated requests from me and eventually from Fish and Wildlife, which I contacted for assistance. This neighbor is an animal lover, and put out cat food, bread, and multiple water bowls. He has stated to me in the past that he has had as many as 14 raccoons at a time in his front yard (seemed proud about that). The raccoons were fighting every night and even during the day. I saw nasty fights right outside my window (including raccoon attacks on rats and stray cats attracted by the daily buffet). I had to change my work hours (could not safely get to my car in the early morning dark). I had to be so careful letting my dog (Cocker Spaniel) outside. Raccoons would hear us and come right over my fence, expecting handouts. I could not open my windows, since the raccoons would try to get in to my house through the screen, with me standing there yelling and clapping! On their third visit, Fish and Wildlife hit my neighbor with a large fine and told him that they would arrest him next time. At that point, he finally stopped! I got my hours back at work. I can let Andy run and play outside again. However, I have this persistent feeling of guilt. Other than the raccoon issue, my neighbor is a really sweet old guy, and now I've lost that friendship. He also struggles to get by on limited funds. I'm sure that fine hurt him, financially. So, your opinions please - was I right to report him? Was I wrong? Did I overlook some better way to deal with this situation?

You absolutely 100% did the right thing he wouldn't listen when asked to stop what choice did you have? Also raccoons may be cute and cuddly looking but can be very dangerous he was risking your safety along with your dogs safety other people in the area possibly including children. Don't feel bad about it!

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[Godzilla78]

I once shot a raccoon that repeatedly kept trying to break into the house, and sneaking in through cat door. Dead, buried, done. What you did was civil at least. lol. I would have called them for sure, that is just wrong what he was doing.

[Kcl]

Speaking as someone who has been in cages with 10+ raccoons many a time, you were absolutely right. Habituated raccoons are very difficult to scare off. Even non-habituated raccoons are difficult to scare off. The situation posed a relatively large rabies risk unless you're in one of the few US areas without the disease or in a non-us area without the disease. Raccoons also will rip the heads off of other animals. A raccoon doing its thing without a human provided food source is fine. Feeding them poses a significant risk to both humans and other animals.

[Crowfingers]

You did the right thing, no doubt about that. I have worked in both wildlife rehab and small animal veterinary since 2005. Not only are the raccoons better off without the cat/dog food and people food but the local environment is better off too. Unfortunately raccoons carry tons of disease that are not only contagious to your pets, the feral cats (don't get me started on that topic), and other wildlife - they carry stuff that you can get too...that many in a small area along with cats and dogs is a distemper, parvo, or baylisascaris outbreak waiting to happen, not to mention the risk of rabies.

I know that it is hard to loose a friendship - especially when you are ultimately helping the animals in the long run. Once hooked on handouts, they stop foraging for native foods, they teach their kits to seek humans for food, and in the end become malnourished or obese. Not to mention that many people see a bold coon and immediately think it has rabies - so they end up trapped, shot, or hit by cars.

It may just take time for your neighbor to come around, maybe he can start feeding birds or planting native flowers for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds if he really wants to help animals

edit- also if he is on limited funds, he really does not need to be spending money needlessly feeding coons that can take care of themselves...especially as the cheap pet foods are like giving them Twinkies and oatmeal cream pies instead of actual nutrition

[bcr229]

Yes, you were right. Unfortunately doing the right thing isn't always easy and doesn't always make you feel good, but in this case reporting your neighbor to the authorities was your only option once he refused to stop feeding the wild raccoons.

And really, if the raccoons had gone after your dog, it's not like he'd have paid the vet bill assuming your dog survived the experience.

[Ax01]

omg sounds like ol' porch hands: https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...89-Porch-Hands



u were totally in the right!

[Newbie39]

Yes it was right. Wild animals can't be fed like that. Good thing bears didn't show up.