This submission is in response to the article “Father-son Duo Save Raccoon” published on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.

The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria wants to remind our community about wildlife safety and the critical importance of contacting our Animal Services team immediately when you suspect a wild animal is injured, ill, or in danger – or that animal presents a danger to humans or domestic animals.

We are incredibly thankful that the father and son who directly handled the ill raccoon were uninjured, but this could easily not have been the case. 

While raccoons are certainly cute critters and have earned an adorable reputation as nature’s masked marauders and “trash pandas,” they are first and foremost wild animals. 

It is not recommended to handle wildlife that is behaving normally, and it is immensely dangerous to handle wildlife that is acting sick or behaving abnormally. Many people know the dangers of rabies, but distemper (a fatal viral disease affecting the central nervous system and more) is another concern in wild animals like raccoons and foxes. Distemper can not be transferred to humans, but can be transmitted to domestic dogs and cats on our clothes or through the air. 

We empathize with the father and son and understand their desire to intervene. We also deeply appreciate our community’s overall concern for all animals’ wellbeing. 

Above all else, here is what we want you to remember. If you think you’ve found a wild animal in need…STOP. Interfering with the animal could cause damage to you and the animal. Contact AWLA’s Animal Services at 703-746-6000 for advice on what to do, and if the animal needs help, our team of trained officers will provide that assistance.

It is our job to ensure our community can safely enjoy our area’s diverse ecosystem, living in harmony with our wild neighbors.