A couple from upstate New York are facing charges and fines for bringing their pet raccoon to a store to buy food, officials said.
A press release from the state Department of Environmental Conversation stated that the pair were charged with unlawful possession of a wild animal, and the owners each face a $500 fine.
“Raccoons are a rabies vector species and therefore considered a dangerous wild animal in New York State,” DEC’s statement declared.
According to the agency, on June 2, a DEC official received an “urgent call” from the Erie County Department of Health, requesting assistance with tracking down a potentially rabid raccoon.
County officials said that a man and his girlfriend had brought the animal to a pet store to purchase supplies, and one of the store’s employees contacted authorities.
Using surveillance video, a store-issued rewards card and license plate information, the DEC agent was able to locate the raccoon’s owners in Attica.
The couple agreed to turn over their raccoon to the authorities, and the critter was then taken to a veterinary clinic for testing.
Rabies test results for the raccoon were negative, DEC reported.
“DEC urges the public to leave wild animals alone,” the agency warned. “Possessing wild animals is not only unlawful, doing so can be deadly.”
It added: “Once a rabies infection is established, there’s no effective treatment.”