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Raccoon bites child in Ashford: state police

DISCLAIMER: Some may find the content and footage in the article to be disturbing.

ASHFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — A raccoon attacked a five-year-old girl in Ashford on Friday morning, state police said.

Troopers assisted an animal control officer just before 8 a.m. on Fitts Road.

Rylee Macnamara was waiting for the school bus when the raccoon attacked her.

Security footage of the incident shows the raccoon holding onto her leg. Rylee can be seen attempting to shake off the raccoon, but the animal would not let go.

Rylee screamed for help, and her mother came to the rescue. Kelsey Macnamara bravely grabbed the raccoon and pulled it off of her daughter. She attempted to get her child inside the house while fending off the raccoon.

The mother was able to hurl the raccoon away across the lawn and ran into the woods, state police said. No word yet on if the animal was rabid.

Kelsey and her daughter went to the hospital after the attack but are okay, according to the family.

The family said that Kelsey and Rylee will have to undergo three rounds of rabies shots in the next two weeks for safety but are otherwise unharmed.