It’s time once again to add another talent to Lilly’s long list of natural abilities. First, she became a larva rancher. And, now? It seems she is a clever coon dog as well.
Fair warning … if you are at all squeamish do NOT click through and read about Lilly’s larva adventures … and if you are at all sensitive to wildlife in distress, you may want to skip this post because it’s kind of sad.
Yesterday, we had our first Mommy & Lilly day in ages. I’ll write more later this week about some training-related news, but I wanted to share this little vignette from our Sunday.
Lilly and I took a shorter-than-usual walk down in town because it was a warm spring day and the trails were crowded. We’d just successfully avoided two boys on scooters and a throng of foreign tourists and needed some space.
I let Lilly decompress a little and sniff off on the grass between the paved trail and the creek. I’d forgotten her six-foot leash, so she wore her long training lead, with most of it looped in my hand.
At first, Lilly did her usual displacement sniffing, where she focuses on that rather than the bevy of sights and sounds around her.
Then, her sniffing became more urgent. I stepped off the trail and asked her what she smelled … when a RACCOON looked up at us. It was just 2 feet from where Lilly stood.
Three things crossed my mind:
- Holy crap! There’s a raccoon. Right there!
- It isn’t moving. It’s right in a high-traffic area, so it must be sick.
- Raccoons are the #1 vector of rabies.
Science Tangent: Did you know that only 15% of animals with rabies exhibit the aggression and other signs people associate with the disease? It’s true. Some 85% of animals infected with rabies have what they call “dumb rabies,” meaning they pretty much just curl up, feel terrible, and die. A Colorado horse died recently from rabies, which is pretty rare since the vaccine works. I did an article for a veterinary trade magazine a couple months ago about a new rapid assay test for rabies. (It’s kind of like a home pregnancy test.) That’s why I’m rabies factoid girl.
Dog Training in Action
I immediately asked Lilly to LEAVE IT and COME. We crossed to the other side of the trail so that we could get some distance from the raccoon and from a bunch of people and dogs that were approaching from all sides.
Neither of us saw the raccoon before it moved. Honestly, it blended in, with it’s face tucked under. It looked a bit like a clump of grass at the base of a creek-side tree when we first saw it.
Lilly did great, and she moved away from the raccoon and came with me to safety. I think it took her a second or two to realize what she smelled was an animal because once we got some distance from it, she was keen to return. (Though, her response could also have been to the many dogs now within mere feet of her.)
Getting Help for the Sick Raccoon
I warned people with approaching dogs to steer clear, and I ran Lilly back to car. I got her settled and safe, then went back to a) take a photo to show you and b) to get help.
By the time I returned, it had settled back into rest. I know it looks dead here, but trust me … it was breathing, and it did LOOK at Lilly when she got close.
I did not have my cell phone with me, so I was a little at a loss. I asked a woman walking by if she knew if Golden had animal control officers on duty on Sundays.
It turns out she is a police officer in a nearby city, and she knew that there was an emergency phone just inside the Golden municipal building, which is literally right off the path near the creek.
So, we went around and used the phone to reach the city dispatchers and asked for help for this poor critter.
They told us that they’re having all kinds of trouble with distemper in the wildlife near the creek. They dispatched help.
Since I had Lilly in the car, my woman-on-the-street helper suggested I go on home. So, I don’t know for sure the outcome, but I can guess.
City animal control or wildlife folks likely euthanized the poor, sick raccoon.
It’s just so sad.
I’ve written before about how Lilly and I seem to find lost, injured, and dead critters on our walks. And, this particular instance upset us just as much as finding someone’s pet.
So, all hail Lilly … finder of animals in need. While its outcome was preset, at least this raccoon didn’t suffer much longer.
Wow, he looks awful just from the picture. It’s sad to think that he was euth’ed, but, laying there must have been much worse, you’re right. Good job, Lilly, for pointing him out to Mom.
I think a raccoon may be going into my barn and eating my cat food. The dish is overturned and the water is splashed out of her bowl. Seems like raccoon behavior, versus another cat or a possum. I’m just hoping whatever it is is healthy because it is a worry that these animals carry diseases. Sorry you were the one to run across this animal, although someone else would probably have done nothing. Still it’s hard to find animals that seem to be suffering.