The Racoon Story

Bandit the Wonder Dog!!!

I know I said this was a story about Racoons...It is! But it starts off with Bandit the Wonder Dog. My mom and Aunt Tracy found him at the pet store where he was up for adoption from the local animal shelter. They fell in love with him and told me I'd have to check him out. The only problem was that my hubby was in Chicago and I didn't want to just pick a dog without him. Well, I went to meet Bandit anyway. Mainly out of curiosity, but...I fell in love! I'll never forget how he just loved on me and layed his head on my lap. How could I leave him there...I couldn't!

When I got home that evening, I called Rob. He was fine with the idea of a dog, but his comment was "the man's suppose to pick the dog". O' well, he was fine when he relized I picked a big manly dog like Bandit (2 year old Black Lab/Great Dane Mix). When he came home from his business trip he fell in love with Bandit just like I did! All was good!

We had many good times with Bandit over the years. Once Madison was born and later Conner, we saw a whole new side of Bandit. He was the protector of the house. He was so good with the kids. He was the Big Brother and first Grandson.

This year he passed away. It was a very sad time for me and the family. I knew he was very old and sick, but couldn't put him down anyway. I loved him! He finally died one night while I slept. I woke up, and like always, went to see if he was okay. For some reason that Saturday morning, I just knew he wasn't. I was right, he died. It was an awful day! I had to leave and take the kids to the store so that they didn't see the people take him away. We all cried and cried and cried as our big, tough daddy waited with him to be taken away and creamated. He was a great dog! We'll always remember him.

Ludlow the Wonder Fish!

Although many people thought we needed to find a new dog, it just wasn't that easy. Bandit wasn't a dog you could just replace. He was our son. So some time went by and I needed a new companion. That's when I found Ludlow. We named him Ludlow the Wonder Fish after Bandit the Wonder Dog. There was still a hole in our hearts but Ludlow made things easier. And Ludlow has become a great son as well. He's very behaved in his bowl. I'm not sure he could protect us from the bad guys, but isn't he just a cutie!

I promise, this all has to do with the Racoons, I'm getting there...

Chuck the Duck and Erica Cutie

No, I didn't loose my mind and go buy a couple of ducks! Chuck the Duck and Erica Cutie just decided to come to visit us every once in a while. This was nice since Bandits passing was still very heavy on our hearts. They were so cute. Little Lover Birds. Chuck was such a sweet man. We would throw bread out to them and Erica would grab it all up quick. So, we would throw pieces far from her and close to Chuck. He was so polite! He would wait and see if his girly wanted it first, and if she didn't, he would eat it. If she would move toward it at all, he would just sit and wait. I loved those two. Now these little ducks were extra special because when I was a kid, my mom brought home three baby ducks. Mine was a male Mallard just like Chuck. In order to protect me from heartbreak, my parents told me that my ducky had ran away from home. I was so sad. I thought that my ducky must not have loved me anymore and that's why he left. I was heartbroken anyway! For year...a lot of years, I would pass a pond full of ducks and wonder if my duck was there. I always would say "that could be my ducky". I didn't find out until I was married that my duck didn't actually run away...he was murdered. Probably by a racoon. See, I told you this story has something to do with racoons. Don't worry that's not it. Anyways, the visits from these two made me happy! I was re-living my childhood. Chuck and Erica would visit me just about everyday...This is where the Racoons come in...

We had suspisions that there might be a racoon or something living in our roof because we heard noises at night, but never really saw anything...until one night Rob walked out the back slider and came face to face with a huge racoon. We thought she was so beautiful, but not knowing what racoons were capable of, and being feerful that these cute duckies would end up to be the same bloody massacre that my parents came home to 20 some years ago, we decided it was probably best to get her out of there.

I have heard all kinds of stories about the strength of racoons and how they can be very dangerous to children and pets. I didn't want to take a chance. So, I called the local animal control to see what to do. It was Memorial day weekend, so they couldn't help until Tuesday. They told me the best thing to do was to rent a trap, put cat food in it and take it out to an area in the country (which I was familiar with) and release the racoon there. I now have learned that this is illegal. Thanks Animal Control! Anyway, that racoon could move! She booked it out of that cage so fast! I couldn't believe it. This is a photo of her. I once loved this picture, because she is beautiful and this was the first time I ever saw a racoon in person. The picture now saddens me. I now have learned that 99% of racoons that are relocated, die within the first year due to lack of food, lack of shelter and other racoons protecting their territory. I only hope that she will make it. I wish I would have know more back when animal control gave me there not so helpful advice.

The story doesn't end there. Unfortunately, a couple of days went by and I came home for lunch to the sound of baby racoons crying for their mama.

O' No! I just orphaned baby racoons. That's when I started doing research and found out that this was the season when their could be babies and any methods to rid the mom, should wait. To late! I only wished I could turn back time. I again called animal control to ask what I could do now, that there were babies and that they needed to eat. Animal control said that they would need to be trapped and relocated. That was all they could do. That is when I knew they were clueless and needed to be educated. First of all there was no way to trap these little angels because they would not even leave there den for food. Second, I now knew that relocating them was a terrible piece of advice. So, I turned to the internet to find help. I found a wildlife animal rescue that came and helped me to get the babies out. The babies would go back to their house where they would be fed and cared for and then later realeased the proper way, with skills and area to survive. It would be a two year process, but they would have better chances at survival.

It turned out to be a great event/ordeal. My children, Rob, myself and everyone I talk to now have a much better understanding of racoons and how to live with them (or have them move on their own). And I got to hold some very precious little girls. Three of them to be exact!

This is one little girl crying out for her mama when we were taking the eaves apart. She was scared. Poor baby!

The neighbors might have thought we were crazy tearing our house apart late at night, but I didn't care...those babies had to be hungry.

Look at them, aren't they adorable!!!

Me & Conner with one of the little girls. One of the best moments ever! They are wonderful creatures! I love them!

But after they were gone, I was sad and lonely again. What a roller coaster of emotions I was going through. I know they are safe, but I missed them. My duckies no longer came to visit me and now the cute baby racoons are gone. I needed a new friend!

That's when I met Lucy

I fell in love with a new little princess! Her name is Lucy the Wonder Pug-Pug. She has made our family whole once again. We are back to normal!

I'm am so thankful for all the creatures that have come into my life over the past months and years! I truely can't imagine life without all my fury, crawly, slippery, slithery friends! Even Pudge..the barking frog...who's only task is to bark orders at me to fetch his dinner!