‘Trashed Panda’ strikes gold: Drunk raccoon’s viral liquor store stunt helps raise ₹2.3 crore for animal shelter

The funds will help cover half the expense of purchasing body cameras for animal protection officers, allowing them to record and document animal cruelty investigations.

A raccoon that made headlines last year after breaking into a liquor store in Virginia, US, has now helped raise $250,000 (approximately ₹2.34 crore) for a local animal shelter through a fundraising campaign.

The donations came through the 'Trashed Panda' campaign, organised for the Hanover County Animal Control. The funds will help cover half the expense of purchasing body cameras for animal protection officers, allowing them to record and document animal cruelty investigations.

Jeffrey Parker, chief of animal protection for Hanover County, said the fundraising proceeds would also support several other shelter improvements. These include better animal housing, toys, a temperature-controlled food storage shed and a community and pet pantry.

“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 was quoted as saying by Fox 10 News.

Viral raccoon incident speeds up body camera plans

According to Parker, the department had been considering equipping its animal protection officers with body cameras for several years. However, the plan had not moved forward until the raccoon's unexpected liquor store escapade brought public attention and donations, helping accelerate the purchase.

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

Parker explained that the cameras would serve multiple purposes, including protecting officers, ensuring transparency and providing recorded evidence for legal proceedings.

“We could use cameras every day. I think it provides valuable information and evidence for us. We utilise 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.

What happened when the raccoon broke into a liquor store?

The unusual incident took place on Black Friday last year, when a store employee discovered the raccoon lying face down inside a liquor store. The animal appeared to have gone on a "liquor-fueled rampage" a few hours before being found.

Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter said the raccoon had left behind considerable chaos before passing out. Broken liquor bottles, disturbed shelves and overturned boxes were among the mess discovered at the premises.

A spokesperson for the store said the animal had damaged 14 bottles of spirits, valued at around $250. No other damage was reported, and the shop resumed operations after the cleanup.

Photographs released by the authorities soon went viral on social media. One image showed the raccoon sleeping near a rubbish bin and a toilet, while another captured an aisle littered with shattered liquor bottles.

The bizarre episode quickly became a talking point online, with social media users sharing jokes and memes about the animal's apparent drinking spree.

Where is the 'drunk' raccoon now?

While the raccoon's antics have since helped generate substantial donations for the animal shelter, Parker declined to reveal where the animal is currently being kept.

However, he expressed hope that the raccoon was now enjoying a peaceful and "sober" life.

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