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A raccoon looks up at Animal Control Officer Doug Jackson as he attempts to free it.
Dealing with a stuck raccoon isn’t new for Animal Control Officer Doug Jackson.
Jackson received a call that a racoon was stuck in a dumpster at Roman Nose State Park and was not aware of what to expect until he arrived.
“I got there, looked at the bottom of the dumpster, and its hips, hind legs, and tail were on the inside of the dumpster. The rest of her was on the outside and she was giving me the ‘what for’,” said Jackson.
Using a screwdriver and a hammer, Jackson was able to chip away at the dumpster to free the raccoon.
“I opened the hole up big enough to where she could crawl out, and when she got out, she got all four feet on the ground and she stood up. I thought ‘OK. Semi domestic raccoon,” Jackson said with a laugh.
This was likely the most memorable racoon moment because of how it was stuck and how it reacted to the situation. He said that in an effort to calm the raccoon he reached down to the raccoon as it was reaching up to presumably scratch him.
“I just reached down there and put my finger down there and just kind of stroked her little paw. She grabbed a hold of my hand and just kind of held onto my finger. She kind of calmed down after that,” Jackson said.