The second wave at the release site.

OK.....we moved a second group out to the release site this past Sunday. No one has been going back and the food had remained untouched the whole time until just before the weekend when Laurie checked the area and suddenly the feeders were emptied! Go figure! No one was around though and the cage was empty so moving day was a go!

It was much tougher parting with this crew though! I was a little more attached to these guys! Michelle, Drake, Quarry, the 4 beach boys and Pansy along with Laurie's gang are all settled in. Not without incident however!We've got everyone settled in and we're both standing in there watching them have fun. Most of these guys are on the small side so as I'm watching one one of Laurie's sitting on a shelf I think wow, he's pretty good sized, he's the biggest of the batch for sure, so I ask Laurie...."Who's that?" Laurie..."I don't think that's mine, that's one of yours." Me...."No that's not mine, it's definitely yours." Laurie..."No it's not mine!" Me...."It's not mine!"

Well suffice it to say light finally dawns on 2 marble heads! We both look at each other at the same time...."OMG someone was already in here....we never checked the den boxes!" DUH!

I go over to check him out.....and one of the attitudes was very happy to see us! He began licking my hand and chattering away....and what a good boy, he never made a fuss with any of the new kids. He obviously was not feeling very well either, but he was walking and climbing around fine and had an appetite! After spending some time checking him over, a large wound was discovered under his tail......we had to bring him in. Once we got him home we took a closer look under better light and it did not look good....Laurie figured surgery was going to be needed so we planned on bringing him in the following day to get checked. I had an open pen (short lived it turns out!) so we set him up in there.

We're actually not positive who it is! It's definitely not Gerry. I think it's LL or Vin. He's way to good to be Bruce or The Rock, even feeling as sick as he is.

*I AM GOING TO WARN ALL THE SQUEAMISH PEOPLE....SOME OF THE PICS ARE GRAPHIC*

JUST AN FYI BEFORE YOU LOOK AT THEM!

We knocked him out and got a good look at his injuries. Basically something chewed him up and spit him out! He had a lot of wounds over him, but the worst was under his tail....at one time a big abscess, now just a gaping hole! Luckily it was all tissue damage....the rectum and vital areas were intact so no surgery was necessary. All we can do is treat it like an open wound so we clipped and scrubbed all the areas we could find, gave him some metacam for pain, and started him on antibiotics.

After scrubbing the many minor puncture holes on his head, neck, side etc....we get to the doozy on his butt...it's a gross one!


All cleaned up and starting to wake up....poor fella!
By the time I got him home he was wide awake.....and in true raccoon form, nothing is more important than the FOOD! He did not hesitate to have a meal.

I am happy to report he is doing very well....eating, drinking and pooping like he should be. He's a very good patient and has no problem with his daily antibiotic shot, although he is none to thrilled with the granulex I have to spray on his butt! If we're lucky, it may heal well enough to send him back out with this group.

In the meantime he's playing the sympathy card pretty well....looking all sad and purring to get me to sit there and rub his head to make him feel better! It's working! LOL

The gang....updates!

Popeye is feeling much better now! The infection that had him under the weather has cleared up and he's almost a happy coon again! As soon as the stitches come out and he can go back with his siblings for release he will be thrilled!

He's got a little mat hanging off his nose. Some hair got caked on and tangled in the sutures so it formed this little mat that I am not going to fiddle with...I don't want to pull anything open. It will come off soon enough, either when the scab falls off or we take the sutures out. It's not causing a problem but it sure is silly to look at!

Ringer is still making her usual daytime visits to eat. Every now and then when I am around during her window of arrival, I am able to visit her in person. What a great girl she is!

Belle and the babies, Bella and Macy are doing great! The happy mom is taking such great care of the little ones! The rest of the gang remains elusive. Now that I have gone from the overnight shift to the day shifts at work, I'm just not out and about around 2-3am when they all seem to flock in. If not for the coon cam, I would be going absolutely crazy not being able to keep my eyes on them! I'm hoping I'll get a chance for a late night/early morning visit coming up on one of my days off.

Things are getting crazy around here. Lots of baby squirrels coming in now. Laurie just ended up with 4 new baby coons so I imagine they are going to start flooding in soon!

A Tragic Day for Belle

It is with a VERY heavy heart that I tell you that once again, Belle's babies were attacked and killed. I discovered it yesterday afternoon. This time all 3 kits were killed and Belle is pretty beat up. She obviously put up a good fight, but she's such a little girl and whatever it was got the better of her. I had to bring her in to keep an eye on her. Her eye is a little swollen, she's not using her right front leg and she's pretty scratched up. Nothing life threatening, but in no condition to be out there defenseless right now with her limited mobility.

I'm guessing a rogue male coon. The bodies were mutilated and left there. A fisher would take them with it. Although if Belle battled with it, maybe it didn't have a chance to take them. Who knows, either way I'm miserable! I'll never put a den box back up there...it's obviously not safe for moms to have their kits in and I don't want to invite future moms to use it. It's not right at the feeding station, but it's apparently close enough to attract unsavory company.

We also discovered Popeye with a nose injury. Looks like someone gave him a good bite and ripped the front of his nose apart. Poor guy. It looked awful, but he was brought to the vet and he stitched him up like new! It looks great and he should heal up well.

These are some pics of his ordeal. He was such a good boy at the vet also. He let everyone do their thing without a hassle.

We got to wondering if maybe whatever got Belle's babies may have paid a visit to the release cage and managed to get him through the cage. The release cage is chain link....easy enough for a nose to poke through and something to grab it. For now, the poor guy has his own suite at Hotel Raccoon and he seems to be enjoying his privacy! All the treats and attention don't seem to bother him either! haha

Red, Lexi, Sarge, Dandy & fun in the rain.

I cannot be positive due to the quality of the pics, but I'm pretty sure this was Dandy on the right last night. The face is a little pug-like. She's obviously doing well since her surgery and hanging with the old gang again! Thank goodness!

All the rain we got in the early morning hours didn't put a damper on things for the gang. They are totally unfazed by it as they lounge and eat! I wish they would all come out earlier though! Most of them show up in the wee hours of the morning from like 2am on. It doesn't make it easy for me to run into them at all!



Ran into Red last night also. She's up to her old crazy ways! She was running around like a maniac last night wanting to play with me. The foot is obviously not slowing her down at all any more!

Lexi dropped in for a visit too! I haven't seen her in a while....she looks great! She's a little timid and would run to me, then dart off when she heard all the racket Red was making jumping around. I got a quick hello, she got a quick scratch under the chin and off she went to get away from the ruckus.



Shortly after Lexi left Sarge showed up. It looks like at some point he had gotten a nasty wound on his right ankle and heel. Looks like someone may have gotten the better of him in a scuffle. The leg was still a little swollen, but the wounds were already healing and granulating in. It looked good and is healing very well, plus he is using the leg with no problem. His appetite and condition are great so I let him be. I think he probably had a good sized abscess at one point that went through it's usual progression and all is now on the mend. I am always amazed at their tolerance to pain and their natural abilities to heal really well without our interference when need be.

Baby Bella is up to 175 grams and doing great. I am expecting her eyes to start to open within the coming week and then she'll start to really grow fast!

Dandy, Belle & Baby Bella

Dandy had her sutures out today. She's good to go so I will be releasing her tonight. She has a little fistula where food can get stuck behind her new nose, but she keeps it clean so it is not causing a problem. She can't wait to go. I think she is pregnant on top of it, so it will be good for her to go back to her own den and settle in again...assuming someone hasn't already taken it over and she has to find a new one! Good luck Dandy, I'll be keeping my eyes on ya!


Tuesday afternoon I discovered someone was using the large den box out back. I couldn't tell who it was...just saw her go in from a distance and when I checked she just huffed and wouldn't come out and say hi. This afternoon I was out back and ran into Belle. I beleive it was her the other day and she may be settling in to have more kits. She had her kits last year in the same den box so it makes sense she might want to use it again.

She is one of my 2006 releases and had 3 kits last spring. Tragically 2 were killed by a strange male I found in the area one day, but her third remaining kit did great and I was out there the night Belle led him (Stumpy) out into the woods and a new den somewhere else. I would occasionally run into him out there afterwards with his mom but he would keep his distance when he saw me.

Of course I didn't have my camera with me when I ran into her, but I got one off the cooncam though! She was down there eating like she was eating for an army and her nipples are getting bigger so she probably IS eating for an army! hehe

The new baby Bella is doing great. She's up to 105 grams and growing every minute!

Red's trip to the vet.

Today was Red's turn to see the vet for her leg. She was so good for her exam! As long as I held her in my arms, she let the vet poke, prod, bend and squeeze her foot and leg without a struggle. I couldn't believe it and was thrilled we didn't need any anesthesia!

The outcome....most likely a bad sprain. There are no wounds, doesn't feel like an abscess and no sign of a break. She was walking on it much better as well. So right now she is going to get cage rest so I can keep an eye on her for a couple of days. She certainly doesn't seem unhappy about the forced visit!

Dandy will be heading in Thursday morning for her checkup and will hopefully get a clean bill of heath and her wish to go home! Maybe by then both girls will get to go home together.

Dandy & Red

Well here she is....13 days after surgery and Dandy is looking good! She is anxious to go, pacing all night in her pen. She'll be getting her check up this week and as long and the Dr. thinks she's ready she will get to go home finally!

Good morning mom! You got my egg with ya!

Look at that cute little scrunched up face! She's looking rough, but I don't think she cares about that.

See how well my mouth works! Tongue still stretches to get all the right spots and the teeth are still sharp and pretty! I can yawn big and wide without any pain too!

Yummy!! Thanks for the egg mom!

Of course now that Dandy seems to be getting ready to go, I find Red in a predicament! Was out late last night feeding the overwinters and when I checked the feeding station no one was there at first. As I started to leave a lot of chattering stopped me. Red was on the top platform trying to get my attention, but wouldn't come down...although she was acting like she wanted to really badly! So I climb up to her and of course, she's not using one of her back legs. She couldn't get down.

So I head up to the house to get a carrier to grab her. She ended up making it down because on my way back to the feeding station she met me half way, chattering up a storm and gimping right up to me and into the carrier.

So I have her settled in a pen now. She did start using the leg and she let me get a better look at it. Her right ankle is swollen and painful, but she is bearing weight on it now so I don't think it is broken. Possibly either an abscess or swelling from a bad sprain or trauma to the ankle. I am not overly worried about it, but being Sunday I have no way of getting it checked. I'll get an x-ray and a closer look tomorrow when I have access to the vet and some helping hands!

Needless to say she is actually pretty happy to be getting mom's attention since she's still in her very friendly mood. She settled happily back into the pen she grew up in and is not the least bit stressed about the whole thing. Her attitude will be a big help when it comes to checking the leg. Anesthesia may not be necessary with her desire & willingness to be handled by me.

Seeing Red!

Well I ran into Red when I went out back to feed the overwinters. There is a big storage container out there with all their treats etc. in it and while I was in the pen Red must have heard me and came over to check things out. She scared the crap out of me when I heard something rummaging in the container. Luckily it was just her helping me out! She is still in the very clingy mood she has developed within the past couple months. (she wasn't like this initially after her release).

This is unusual for them once they are free....they usually do not want to be handled once they are released....but will tolerate my presence if I run into them. Yet once again she just jumped into my arms and wanted to be held. I was getting some serious coonie hugs this night, much to my surprise. I think she is pregnant and her maternal hormones are at work here and it will ware off soon as she prepares to have her kits. Right now she's just happy to see mom and say Hi when she gets the chance.

I also feel better knowing this is specific to me and she's not like this towards other humans. The last time I ran into her and she was like this, Laurie came by to feed the overwinters. When she came towards me and Red, Red immediately took off and even my presence didn't prevent it. I teach them to fear other humans before releasing them, and I feel better witnessing that behavior in action so I know it was reinforced enough to make her dissappear even if I am around.

Dandy is doing great. She is healing well, eating fine and keeping the wound clean. She is taking her antibiotics and worming meds without a problem and being an excellent patient. I know she is restless and just wants out so she can return to her home in the wild. I feel bad keeping her penned up but it is for her greater good and it will be great to see her go free again when I am sure she is healed completely and ready to go.

I'm sure Siren misses her too since the two of them were always hanging out together. It will be nice when and if they can reunite depending on their "maternal situations" this spring.

Day 5 after surgery.

Where's my egg mom?

Dandy is getting better every day. Here she pokes her head out to say hi when she realized I was in her pen cleaning up.

Awwww she looks so cute now....just like before the accident.....

....until she tilts her head up a little! ha ha! Poor girl is going to have a permanent scowl on her face, but I still think she's cute! Looks and feels a lot better than it did when I found her!

She will always be beautiful to me!!!

Priscilla the Porcupine's Story

This is Priscilla. Obviously not a raccoon, but a very sweet porcupine whose story needs to be told! She was found curled up in the road, hit by a car after searching out the salt she craved there.

The people who found her were kind enough to pick her up off the street and bring her home, setting her up in a crate. They offered her food that she wouldn't eat, and a bowl of water. She kept tipping over the bowl of water so they just stopped putting it in the crate. They were going to get her to someone to help her, but they just "never got around to it." Finally after 10 DAYS! they contacted a fellow rehabber and brought her in.

She was immediately brought to a vet for an exam and treatment. It was discovered she had a broken pelvis. She was started on fluids and the usual process of re-hydrating then slowly introducing food again. She wouldn't eat at first so she was patiently hand fed baby food & veggies to get her started. Applesauce was her favorite! She started doing well and hopes were high for her recovery.

Porcupines eat sitting up like squirrels but with her broken pelvis she was having a difficult time of it. She kept trying to push herself up to eat. So a special "desk" was made just for her so she could sit up and eat in comfort. She loved this! She was a sweetheart and did great for almost 2 weeks until she started to go downhill.

Unfortunately the damage had been done after 10 days without fluids, food and care. The damage to her kidneys was irreversible and despite every one's best efforts she did not pull through. It was a terrible blow.... and a death that most likely could have been prevented.

If nothing else is learned from this....anyone who finds an animal and wants to help...PLEASE take the half hour or so to call around and get it some help. If you care enough to start to help it, follow through until you get it care instead of adding to it's suffering. They are living things just like us. Can you imagine if you were hurt, locked in a room and have no food or water or anything for any length of time??? Imagine 10 days without anything! In pain to boot! Putting it in a box and forgetting about it isn't going to make the problem go away, and the animal suffering through that would probably be better off having died on the road instead of that type of prolonged suffering.

Thank you to all those who care enough about our wild friends to give them aid when they need it! I know most of the kind hearted people who want to help have no idea what to do. It's a foreign situation to most! In this age of the computer finding a number is an Internet search away and I have made it even easier by having the links to various wildlife rehabilitator organizations listed. Help is just a click away......for all the Priscilla's out there!!

A smile for the camera!

Well here she is with her beautiful new smile! It will probably be a permanent smile by the looks of it.Wow! What a difference a couple of days makes!

Dandy is doing great! What a trooper. The nose looks great, no gunk caking it up, and she is breathing almost normally out of it. I started sneaking her antibiotics into some raw egg so she's a happy girl getting treats like that. She is being a wonderful patient and she is definitely grateful to be feeling so much better.



Tomorrow I'll be adding another patient to the clan. The squirrel I brought to Tufts last week is recovering well and is ready to come here to finish his rehabilitation. Some time in the big cage where he can climb on trees and run around will help get his injured leg back in shape so he can be released eventually. Lucky Cutter (I can officially name him now!) He's going to get a second chance ....out of the dangers of city life and into the good country life! Boy is he gonna love it here! Lots of pretty young ladies out there for him to meet.

The recovery begins.....

I am happy to report that Dandy is doing well after her surgery. She appears very comfortable and not bothered by her nose which is great because it means she is leaving it alone and not clawing at the stitches in her mouth.

She has been moved outside into the recovery cage and feels right at home seeing as it is part of the same cage she was raised in! Aside from being a little restless at being cooped up again, she is very cooperative with me allowing me to treat her without a problem.

It's just amazing how trusting they can be when treated kindly and when they know you are helping them! It also helps that she thinks of me as Mom, remembers that bond despite being on her own for over 6 months, and recognizes that I mean her no harm. They never fail to amaze me!

Dandy's Surgery

Today was the day of reckoning for Dandy. She had surgery on her very damaged and broken nose. It had pretty much been evulsed..the whole nose was forced up and back exposing the nasal cavity as you can see in this before picture. That is the actual position the nose was stuck in.

A big dead section of the nasal septum was removed. The right side damage was less than the left. Here the Dr. is stitching the nose back down over the nasal cavity, securing it to the gums to hold it down.

The left side was worse. Here you can see the nasal cavity still exposed. Where his finger is part of the jaw had chipped off, like a flake of ice, so there was no gum tissue to secure the nose to. He got creative and actually stitched the nose down with a mattress stitch down around and between the teeth (like flossing).

And finally after it all, she still has a permanent snarl, but much better! You can actually see her eyes with the snout pulled back into place!

We have to hope the stitches hold, and a lot of other things too! But the Dr. is optimistically hopeful. So now we wait and see, and hopefully with a lot of TLC she will pull through and be well enough to release back into the wild again. As long as everything works well, the deformity is not an issue. She was still eating and drinking perfectly well before the surgery which is a good sign as well.

I am ETERNALLY GRATEFUL to my vets for taking the time and putting the effort into helping her....words cannot describe! THANK YOU!

Capture accomplished!

Well I spent another night out in the woods last night. I spent 6 hours sitting under a tree waiting for my injured coonie kid to come down! I am officially the crazy coon lady in this neck of the woods!

She finally did and I managed to snag her this time. It is Dandy and her injury is horrific. My wonderful vet had a look at her today, and had she not been eating, drinking and getting along as well as she has been, euthanasia might have been recommended. But since she has been coping, tomorrow she will go into surgery and another vet will get a closer look at the damage and we'll assess it from there. I am hoping for the best, but trying not to get my hopes up too high.

Look what a cutie she is. Is it any wonder why I have gone to such lengths for her??!