In Maddock, North Dakota, a woman who brought a wild raccoon into a bar is now facing criminal charges after the situation motivated state health officials to issue warnings of potential rabies exposure. 38-year-old Erin Christensen was arrested last week and is now being charged with misdemeanor counts of providing false information to law enforcement, tampering with physical evidence, and unlawful possession of furbearers.
Ownership of a raccoon is illegal in North Dakota, and it's against the law to keep them in captivity unless you operate a licensed zoo.
Christensen said that she and her family found the raccoon, who they named Rocky, on the side of the road three months ago and were nursing it back to health. They had plans to release Rocky back into the wild once it was healthy. On September 6, Christensen brought Rocky to a bar and revealed him to several other customers and employees. Bartender Cindy Smith said that Rocky was never let loose in the establishment and didn't bite anyone. However, court documents state that when Christensen was questioned by law enforcement, she not only didn't say where the non-domesticated raccoon was located, but also purposely hit the animal.
Her court appearance is set for Monday, and she could face a maximum punishment of up to two years in jail and $7,500 in fines. Rocky was detained and later euthanized by officials. Christensen expressed her disagreement with how the state Health and Human Services Department is handling the situation in a statement to the Bismarck Tribune, saying, "It's unfair and too much was done to detain an innocent raccoon. They were not worried about the health of us if we had rabies or not. They were worried about finding and killing Rocky and putting me behind bars."
"Rocky never left my arms when I visited the Maddock Bar," she added, while alleging that law enforcement officers used "excessive force" causing her family to be "traumatized." She started a GoFundMe page called "Justice for Rocky" to help pay the costs of an attorney, though she never specified what next actions she would consider as justice. So far $4,505 of the $10,000 goal has been raised.
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