Neighbor's Golden Retriever Killed by Raccoons

[Jeff Higgins]

Sad day in the neighborhood - by neighbor's dog was attacked and killed by raccoons the other night. Leica was three years old, and good pals with my five year old Golden, Katie. My neighbor Serge and his whole family are simply beside themselves. They have four kids, the oldest girl just having started middle school, and the youngest boy still in diapers. Just sad...

They apparently let her out when she was making a fuss at the back door, as dogs are wont to do. They heard a horrible fight followed very quickly by a deafening silence. They couldn't even get to the back door and turn the light on before it was over. The raccoons ran when the door opened and the lights came on, and Leica was dead before Serge had a chance.

I've seen raccoons around here for the entire 25 years I've lived in this neighborhood. At least once or twice a month I'll see them when I head out to go to work in the morning. I guess I never really saw them as a threat in any way, although I'm fully aware they are wild animals and not to be trifled with. It's always bothered me that some neighbors think they are cute and feed them. I've never said anything, but as this news spreads through the 'hood, it might be a good time to have a little "heart to heart" with those that have been feeding them.

This just sucks.

[afterburn 549]

I am thinking the little bandits were framed...sorry for your loss if it was them...sorry for the raccoons for running out of space.
Is a Bizarre story.
I know Raccoons are a real threat to a dog in the water......on dry land..never herd of it B4

[speeder]

Sorry to hear that. Raccoons are nasty, wild animals that travel in packs and they can be viscous. I'm a little surprised that they ran when your neighbor opened the door, the ones who used to come over and eat my dog's food when I lived in a canyon would not budge when I yelled at them from close range. This was when I first got a dog many years ago and did not know better than to leave dog's bowl outside.

They have huge, sharp claws and even a really tough dog would have to get lucky to get a lock on one w/o getting slashed. If there was a pack of them, no way on earth. I was in fear of my German Shepherd dogs getting contact w/ them because I knew that the dogs would not hesitate and probably get slashed-up. Very sad story but it's too bad that your neighbors did not know better than to let dog out at night when it was fairly obvious that raccoons were outside. If you live where they are, you know that dog go nuts when they are in the yard.

[vash]

how fast? in mere seconds? how many coons?

very traumatic! poor leica. sorry for asking such a lame que, but do you know what the injuries look like? i have never heard of coons killing a healthy dog..not that fast.

[Gogar]

Sorry to hear, Jeff. I've never heard of something like that from raccoons either.

When I was in grade school, we lost a dog to a badger. Bad stuff. Badger lost to me and Dad and a box of .22LR though.

[masraum]

Wow, that's horrible, and very surprising. I can't even imagine what they're going through. I thought my dog killed a opossum the other day, but it was playing opossum. That was scary enough. I imagined her getting rabies from being bitten.

[pwd72s]

Raccoons are carriers of Rabies and other disease. Pretty rare to hear of them attacking a dog, tho. Maybe they were rabid? I'm glad I live in a rural area, with the County's blessing to shoot vermin. I have done so...but generally, I just live trap & relocate the little pests.

Talk to PETA types, & they'll tell you the dog deserved to die, because it is we who are invading their space...

(edit) Are you sure there are no coyotes about?

[72doug2,2S]

Nasty things, raccoons. I wouldn't care to get near a caged one.

So, isn't this still a good fur time, or has that time passed?

[m21sniper]

Posse time.

Find. Kill. Drink beer.

[pwd72s]

I'm sure Jeff knows...but subsonic .22LR rounds are darned quiet in a bolt action rifle.

[Jeff Higgins]

There were at least two that Serge saw, but there could have been more. They didn't really so much run off as waddle away into the night with Serge shooing them off.

Leica was a pretty slightly built Golden, going maybe 50 pounds, if that. Our neighborhood raccoons are quite large, and quite well fed. I would guess they are pushing 30 pounds or so. They are certainly comfortable around people. Not really approachable (not that I would try), but they certainly don't run when they see me. I've had them watching from the end of my driveway as I hop in the car to go to work.

My guess is that Serge and family may have been one of the guilty parties feeding them. Not so much on purpose like others, but more because Leica pretty much was an outside dog, with her food out next to her doghouse. They probably didn't bring it in at night, just letting the raccoons finish off what she didn't. I think Leica cornered them as they were coming after "their" food.

Raccoons in the wild would never try to take on something as big and relatively formidable as even a small Golden. I think our locals have become acclimated and emboldened. We do lose a fair number of the semi-feral cats that roam the 'hood, and I do hear some hair-raising scraps in the middle of the night. Just never a dog, until now.

Edit:

Yes, we have plenty of coyotes as well. Just as bold, too - they don't really run off when they see a man, either. Serge saw the raccoons, though.

Best time for fur is early to late fall. They have grown the winter coat, but haven't had enough time to rub bald spots in it, or to matt it all up. February is too late in the year. They still have thick pelts, but they are pretty ratty by now.

[varmint]

really unusual.


maybe got between a mother and the kits. saw a mother rabbit **** up a german shepherd pretty bad when i was young. or cornered a big old one that knows how to go for the throat.


not that it matters. raccoons have to die now.

[Normy]

DUDE!

I grew up in Southeastern lower Michigan, not far from Detroit. This is raccoon central, and from the age of 5 onward my dad told me DON'T ever harass a raccoon! A 25 pound raccoon will tear a 50 pound dog to SHREDS! These things are BAD! My dad also told me NEVER shoot a raccoon with a .22 caliber long-rifle; it just pisses the animal off... These animals are the smallest member of the bear family, and they have a mouth full of teeth and a BAD attitude when pushed into a corner! Also, many of them carry the rabies virus. Not a good combination~

Winchester designed a rim-fire shell specifically for this animal- it is known as a .22 WMR, and the shell is over an inch long- it looks freakish! THIS supersonic hollow-point round will generally kill a raccoon on the first hit. Generally-

B carefull!

N!

[pwd72s]

Jeff, just pick a nice backstop, set a bowl of dog food in front of it, and be ready with a nice .22 rifle loaded with subsonic...don't bother digging afterwards...nobody in this county stops to inspect a roadkill racoon for bullet holes. The Turkey Buzzards here are quite happy to take care of the disposal work.

[jhynesrockmtn]

That sucks. Sorry about your friends dog. I've been thinking a lot about my dogs lately. One of my labs had knee surgery today and we had to put my fiance's Daschund down around Thanksgiving. Right before Oscar died we were stalked by a single racoon on a walk practically in downtown Seattle. She's lives in Eastlake near the UW. Nasty thing watched us from across the street, started following us and I had to throw rocks at it to keep it away.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by Normy

DUDE!

I grew up in Southeastern lower Michigan, not far from Detroit. This is raccoon central, and from the age of 5 onward my dad told me DON'T ever harass a raccoon! A 25 pound raccoon will tear a 50 pound dog to SHREDS! These things are BAD! My dad also told me NEVER shoot a raccoon with a .22 caliber long-rifle; it just pisses the animal off... These animals are the smallest member of the bear family, and they have a mouth full of teeth and a BAD attitude when pushed into a corner! Also, many of them carry the rabies virus. Not a good combination~

Winchester designed a rim-fire shell specifically for this animal- it is known as a .22 WMR, and the shell is over an inch long- it looks freakish! THIS supersonic hollow-point round will generally kill a raccoon on the first hit. Generally-

B carefull!

N!

Supersonic .22 rounds wake up neighbors...subsonics don't. Might as well move up to a deer caliber if you want to make noise. One shot of .22 LR subsonic right between the eyes puts Raccoons to sleep permanently. Not hard to do, even with iron sights at 25 feet or so. Go ahead, ask me how I know this.

[KarlCarrera]

Really sorry for the neighbors and the dog. Can't imagine what their going through.

Yes, we probably invaded the raccoon's space but 'usually' wild animals will move on if there's nothing for them, (or possibilities) in the area. Somebody, or alot of somebody's contributed to this.

Ran into a similar situation here in the Springs, I recently cleaned out the 'possibilities' for my neighbor, (her husband recently passed away), had a little education with her, and so far no tracks in the snow this winter, (first time) in almost 20 years.

Hate to say it...but it sounds like it's time for them to move on. One way or another. Another, (how ever you define it, I know how I would,... Ruger .22 HP Semi Auto) would be better.

What would we do if it was a child?

Thought's and prayer's to your friends

Karl
88 Targa

[varmint]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

Yes, we have plenty of coyotes as well. Just as bold, too - they don't really run off when they see a man, either. Serge saw the raccoons, though.

if there was a coyote in the vicinity, the raccoons would have made themselves scarce.


these can disturbingly smart animals. i swear they know the difference between human and human with gun. when you kill them, try to get as many as you can in the first sweep. because any survivors will learn, and not fall for the same trap.

[enzo1]

sorry for their loss, fox tried to get my little dog, went after him with a 1911 45, didn't catch him, they're smart, Norm: didn't know about them being in the bear family? 1 time my dad took me on a "coon" hunt , these guys were all talking this and that about how tough there dogs were, until they cornered the wrong 1, they eventually released 4 dogs on him, IMHO he deserved to live, didn't like it at all, when we got back to the trucks the 1"s they had in burlap sacks, tied with twine on the outside, were gone

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

I'm sure Jeff knows...but subsonic .22LR rounds are darned quiet in a bolt action rifle.

22 short is even quieter. Racoon is a smart, nasty critter, will take any dog. Bear is Ursus, racoon is Procyon, different family, but closer relations than you would guess.