Additional Coverage:
- Raccoon goes on drunken rampage in Virginia liquor store and passes out on bathroom floor (nbcnews.com)
A “Trash Panda” Goes on a Boozy Bender in Ashland Liquor Store
ASHLAND, Va. – Local authorities in Ashland were called to a rather unusual scene early Saturday morning after a liquor store employee discovered a masked burglar passed out on the bathroom floor. This wasn’t your typical human bandit, however; the culprit was a raccoon, and it had quite the night.
The masked marauder, affectionately dubbed a “trash panda” by some, reportedly broke into the closed Virginia liquor store and immediately headed for the bottom shelf, where the scotch and whiskey reside. The result was a scene of pure pandemonium: smashed bottles, a collapsed ceiling tile, and a significant pool of alcohol on the floor.
“I personally like raccoons,” stated Samantha Martin, an officer with local animal control, who responded to the incident. “They are funny little critters. He fell through one of the ceiling tiles and went on a full-blown rampage, drinking everything.”
Martin recounted taking the inebriated raccoon back to the animal shelter, admitting to a few chuckles along the way. “Another day in the life of an animal control officer, I guess,” she quipped.
The Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter praised Officer Martin for her handling of the situation and confirmed that the raccoon had successfully sobered up.
“After a few hours of sleep and zero signs of injury (other than maybe a hangover and poor life choices), he was safely released back to the wild, hopefully having learned that breaking and entering is not the answer,” the agency humorously posted. It seems this little bandit’s wild night ended with a walk of shame and a lesson learned.