NewsDesk @bactiman63

The Maine Dept of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife reported last week on a woman who brought a juvenile raccoon into the Auburn Petco on Mt. Auburn Ave to have its nails trimmed on Tuesday, May 23 at approximately 1:30 p.m., potentially exposing herself and others to rabies.

Image/Maine Dept of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife

While waiting at the store, many different people handled the raccoon and some even kissed it. Once the store manager was alerted to the raccoon, the manager asked the woman with the raccoon to leave the store, and contacted the Maine CDC and the Maine Warden Service.

Fortunately, the raccoon tested negative for rabies, so those who came in contact with the raccoon at Petco do not need to seek treatment, officials reported two days ago.

Maine

It is illegal to possess wildlife in Maine, and Petco does not trim raccoon nails.

Remember:

Always enjoy wildlife from a distance
Never approach or handle wildlife
Never feed wildlife
Never attempt to move a wild animal.

Raccoons are one of the most common carriers of rabies in Maine. Rabies is lethal unless treated after exposure. If you were exposed to this raccoon, please contact your health provider. Rabies is spread through a rabid animal’s saliva or neural tissue, and a person can be exposed when that saliva or neural tissue of a rabid animal comes in contact with a person through a bite or scratch, cut in the skin, or gets into the eyes, nose, or mouth.