‘Remarkable’: Drunk raccoon leads to $250,000 for animal control

HANOVER, Va. (WWBT/Gray News) - Nearly a year after a drunk raccoon was captured in a Virginia ABC store, a campaign tied to the animal has raised $250,000 for Hanover County Animal Control.

Donations from the “Trashed Panda” campaign will cover more than half the cost of a new tool for officers to document animal cruelty investigations.

The tool consists of body cameras for animal protection officers. The money is going back into the shelter and its officers, said Jeffrey Parker, chief of animal protection for Hanover County.

The shelter has raised the money by selling shirts tied to the raccoon’s capture. Parker said the campaign has generated approximately $280,000 since it started a year ago.

His first reaction to the amount raised was shock and then gratitude, because the money is going back into helping the animals at the shelter.

“It was just remarkable the amount of feedback that came with it. I think a lot of people can relate to it as well. But it has just been remarkable,” Parker said.

Parker said the department has considered getting body cameras for some years, “but we never really pulled the plug,” Parker said.

Last year, Parker said the department started getting the data it needed to seek funding.

“This raccoon just helped us a little bit faster,” he said.

Parker said he had planned to present the cameras to the county as a budget request but saw the money generated from the campaign as a way to save taxpayer dollars.

Parker said the cameras are for officer safety, transparency and court documentation.

“We could use cameras every day. I think it provides valuable information and evidence for us. We utilize our sheriff’s office for body cams when we need body cam footage on scene ... So now we can do that on our own,” Parker said.

Parker said the cameras will also help him resolve complaints about staff members and keep reports more accurate. “That way we don’t possibly discipline good officers,” he said.

The “Trashed Panda” funding will pay for all of the equipment and this year’s service. Parker said service for years two through five will come from the county’s budget.

Parker said right now his officers will train over the next couple of months to prepare for the body cameras, with the initial start date for officers to wear the cameras on Jan. 4, 2027.

The shelter is using the money for new housing for animals, toys, a temperature-controlled food shed and a community and pet pantry.

Parker said the money will be shared between field operations and shelter operations. The department is gathering more projects for the remaining funds.

“Our goal is to use all the money for the animals in the department,” Parker said.

And if you’re wondering where the infamous raccoon is now?

“No telling where he’s at. Hopefully he’s living a good life, not doing any kind of more breaking and entering businesses and all that, and living a good life, we hope,” Parker said. “A sober one.”