The Editor,
If you live in Estevan and think you are safe from wild animals think again! Raccoons may be cute and fuzzy but they can be very dangerous animals, especially if you are untrained in capturing them.
Let me share my exciting morning with you.
I received a call that there was a raccoon found in the parkade of a condominium building that I manage here in Estevan.
Before leaving my home, I called the Estevan police desperately in need of their help. They informed me that they couldn't help protect not only me but all the residents in the building from this possible rabid animal due to the fact that it was on private property. Not losing hope I contacted City Hall where they were very helpful in providing me with contact numbers for the conservation office as well as two possible pest control companies.
First calling the conservation office I received more bad news, they could not help either. Next came the pest control companies operating out of Regina, but they too could not help as they did not have anyone here to provide the assistance needed for capturing the animal.
Having now exhausted all avenues of support, I contacted the humane society in hopes of borrowing a rabies snag as I now had no other option but to deal with this on my own. They could not help me but suggested the PAHC to see if they had one that I could use.
The PAHC was gracious enough to lend me one with the understanding that I was going to catch and release the raccoon.
With the snag in hand and the puppy kennel with its door wide open I made my attempts to snag it. I did it! I couldn't believe that I actually did it! But once on the ground, the raccoon went into a crocodile roll and wiggled out of the snag. Instead of heading for the garage door that I had opened in hopes of him running for his freedom, he ran for the safety of a nearby truck. After contacting the owner of the truck, we watched as the raccoon rode out of the parkade safely under her truck.
Once out on the public road, I again called the police in hopes of getting some help. Both the local police and the conservation officer came. Instead of saying anything along the lines of a good job on getting the animal out of the building safely without injury to either the animal or me they reprimanded me for snagging it on my own as that can be very dangerous. As the raccoon was not visible under the truck they claimed it had run off, even though there were four witnesses who knew otherwise.
As a taxpaying, animal loving citizen I feel that they left me high and dry to solve this on my own. What right did they have to criticize me and place me in the wrong when there was no one who could help me? I feel sorry for the next individual who calls expecting assistance but receives none.
Yours truly,
Samantha Chenier,
Estevan
