Drunk Raccoon Helps Shelter Raise Over $290,000

The animal became a local celebrity after an incident in 2025. The raccoon sneaked into a store at night, broke at least 14 bottles of alcohol, got drunk, and fell asleep next to the toilet. In the morning, the store manager found him. The creature was taken to a shelter, where he slept for several hours. After that, he was released back into the wild. The story gained widespread attention, and employees of the Hanover County Animal Protection Service decided to use the raccoon's popularity to raise donations. In collaboration with a clothing manufacturer, the shelter released T-shirts, sweatshirts, caps, and mugs featuring the sleeping animal. Thanks to the charity campaign, they managed to raise over $290,000, while the organization usually receives less than $20,000 a year. Part of the proceeds was allocated for purchasing body cameras for eight employees of the animal protection service. Another approximately $140,000 is planned to be spent on other needs, including creating a reserve fund for treating injured animals. The head of the service, Jeffrey Parker, expressed hope that the raccoon continues to live freely and no longer consumes alcohol.