Raccoon ‘owner’ arrested after setting off rabies scare in North Dakota bar, cops say

A local resident who took a pet raccoon into a bar leading to a rabies warning for all of North Dakota has been arrested.

The “captive raccoon” was brought into a bar in Maddock on Tuesday, Sept. 6, the North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) said in a news release.

About 10 people were in the bar at the time, the bartender told the Bismarck Tribune. The person showed the raccoon to the employee and another customer as the bartender tried to get the animal out, the outlet reported.

The incident prompted an HHS warning, issued Sept. 13, about possible exposure to rabies. “Anyone who may have been bitten by the raccoon, or had contact with the raccoon’s saliva, should speak with a health care provider as soon as possible,” the release said.

The “raccoon investigation” led the Benson County Sheriff’s Office to arrest a 38-year-old Maddock resident, the office said in a Sept. 15 news release.

The owner told Valley News Live that her family found the raccoon three months ago and have taken care of it since then.

The raccoon was put down and will be tested for rabies and other diseases, the sheriff said.

The “pet” raccoon’s owner faces pending charges of North Dakota Game and Fish violation, tampering with evidence, and giving false information to law enforcement.

According to HHS, raccoons are “unlawful” pets in North Dakota.

Maddock is about 135 miles northeast of Bismarck.

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