Police Department Rescues Friendly Raccoon, by Kathy Wilson (inspired by a Steven Messenger post in the Dodo, July 23, 2025)

Earlier this week, officers from Minnesota’s Lakeville Police Department responded to a call about a rabid raccoon running loose around town. They rushed to the scene, only to find that the situation wasn’t quite as threatening as the caller had reported. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

Winning Over Hearts and Minds

This young raccoon was clearly not rabid. Instead, he was healthy, somewhat mischievous, and exceptionally friendly, eager to make new friends and play. “He was not at all what we expected,” a spokesperson said, “and the officers quickly established a rapport with him.”

The initial plan was to relocate him to a local park but the more they observed his behavior, the less this seemed like a viable option. He had somehow missed the "How Raccoons Behave in the Wild" memo, following officers around and trying to get into the squad car, more like a dog than a wild raccoon.

They finally concluded he was domesticated and knew that they couldn’t just drive off without him.

Keeping raccoons as pets is generally prohibited in Minnesota, so the officers took him to a rehabilitation center for continued observation and care. With any luck, this little guy, whom officers lovingly named Gerald, will learn to be a bit more wary of people and have the skills needed to survive on his own. Or he might live out his days in a sanctuary surrounded by other raccoons to live and play with.

However his story ends, this heartwarming encounter left a lasting impression:

“He is being talked about by everyone here at the office. Meeting Gerald definitely made everyone’s day!”

Note from editor: To keep things interesting, I'm opening up animallove.net to the occasional post from other animal story sites when I spot something that is just too good not to share. This is a great example of that, compliments of www.thedodo.com.