Maine Woman Brings Raccoon to Pet Store To Get its Nails Trimmed

That headline alone seems like it should be enough, right?

You really can't make this stuff up. First of all, I'd love to know the back story of how this woman came into possession of a baby raccoon. Did she hit the Mama with her car? Does she even know what happened to the Mama? Sometimes people think little baby animals are just cute as the dickens and can't resist. What they forget is the most important part of all... It's a wild animal and anything can happen.

Thursday afternoon at the Petco in Auburn, a woman brought a juvenile raccoon into the store hoping to have the animal's nails trimmed. While there, a few other people in the store even came up to the cuddle the raccoon and even give it kisses. When employees found out there was a woman in the store with a wild raccoon, they asked her to leave immediately.

No one was injured during the incident, but...

According to the Sun Journal, Maine Wardens are up in arms about how dangerous this situation could've been. Raccoons are one of the biggest sources of rabies in the state of Maine. So to have a person in the store with a wild raccoon was quite reckless. Wardens are suggesting that anyone who came into contact with this person should seek medical attention immediately to head off the risk of rabies.

At this time, it doesn't seem any charges will be pressed, but Wardens say they're most concerned with rabies exposure. Here was their statement, which is good common sense for any time:

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.

The wardens are also looking for info about the woman and the Warden's Service can be reached at 1-800-452-4664.

In case you need a refresher course on what's legal or not legal to own in Maine...