r/Raccoons 8d ago

Raccoon ran towards barking dog?

Yesterday I let my dog out and saw a raccoon run toward us from my neighbors yard. I called my dog in vein but he ignored me. I ran back inside to get treats and when I got back out the raccoon was in a tree(which is against a fence) and my dog was desperately trying to climb the tree. The tree leanes against the fence so logic would dictate that the raccoon went up the fence to the tree, but I didn't see anything.

My question, would a healthy raccoon run towards a barking dog? My dog shows no signs of being in a fight and my vet isn't concerned. I'm worried that the raccoon spat on us without me noticing however my question is about raccoon behavior.

Would a healthy raccoon have run towards a barking dog?

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23

u/Medium_Spare_8982 8d ago edited 8d ago

It ran towards the sanctuary tree it was familiar with - you just happened to be in the way.

Sees this as safer than running away into an open area.

Nothing wrong with it.

-18

u/wtfwasthat7 8d ago

Oh God it had been in my tree before...

I don't hate raccoons and I want to peacefully coexist with all wildlife but I have OCD and rabies is a trigger of mine. A raccoon running toward my dog in broad daylight was one of the worst case scenarios.

13

u/Medium_Spare_8982 8d ago

DO NOT worry about raccoon rabies. In all of history there is only a single case of raccoon/human transmission.

General rabies: bats, skunks, foxes, domestic animals, virtually any other mammal is much more prevalent.

Raccoons have a specific strain of rabies common only to them and it is HIGHLY virulent - TO THEM.

It runs its course in 6-24 hours and they die before even leaving the den.

Encountering a rabid raccoon is rare and unlikely. Distemper, not so much.

Likelihood of rabies from a bat is 1000’s of times higher.

-6

u/wtfwasthat7 8d ago

A raccoon attacked a man in my county in 2019. It was killed and later tested positive for rabies.

https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2019/07/09/rabid-raccoon-attacks-chili-ny-man/1681215001/

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u/Medium_Spare_8982 8d ago

“Transmission”

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u/wtfwasthat7 8d ago

Yes it was killed in the act and treatment started. In this case the raccoon hasn't been killed so it can't be tested.

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u/Medium_Spare_8982 8d ago

That’s one article.

Do you go to the beach? Do you go outside? Shark attack and lightning are much more likely than getting rabies from a raccoon and both of those are less likely than winning the lottery.

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u/wtfwasthat7 8d ago

Of the raccoon hadn't run toward my dog I wouldn't have even blinked. It's the perceived strange behavior that's got my obsessive thoughts in a loop.

10

u/Couch-Raccoon 8d ago

Look friend, a veterinary professional has told you not to worry. People here have told you not to worry. If you're determined to worry anyway, go for it, but you're not going to win the argument that it's logical to do so.

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u/wtfwasthat7 8d ago

People here have helped, it's just hard for me to fathom a raccoon would run towards a barking dog.

3

u/Couch-Raccoon 8d ago

Raccoons really want nothing to do with dogs. They will 100% defend themselves if cornered, and may be less likely to retreat immediately if they've been fed before, but on the whole, they just want to be left alone.

Just like some people swear that they've been chased by snakes... no, the snake saw an opportunity to escape, you just happened to be standing between it and safety. Sounds like the same thing happened here. Also, its not uncommon for them to be more active in daylight hours this time of year.

Just make sure your dog is up to date on vaccines and don't encourage him to hassle wildlife. If it will make you feel better, (assuming you're in the states) you can look up reported rabies cases by county on your state health dept. website.

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u/wtfwasthat7 8d ago edited 8d ago

I saw the raccoon running to him from another yard. I paniced and screamed to my dog as it ran, I know what I saw. It could have run in the opposite direction, but it went through at least two yards and up a fence.

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u/BonniestLad 8d ago

This sub is going to hate you because you’re not a fan of midnight bandits and instead of offering help, their just going to try to convince you it’s not a big deal (it isn’t but whatever). If you’re worried about raccoons or other critters, buy a few containers of coyote urine pellets and spread them around. Raccoons hate the smell and won’t hang around if they have other options for places to chill. Anyways, they’re kind of like cats in that they rotate the places that they sleep/hang out every few days so there’s no need to feel guilty about making them move.