Virginia Liquor Store Experiences Repeat Break-Ins by Intrepid Raccoon

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In Hanover County, Virginia, a raccoon with a penchant for mischief has become a local legend after its escapades at a liquor store made headlines. This particular raccoon, who famously got inebriated after raiding a state Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) store, is believed to be a repeat offender.

The tale of this furry bandit crashing into the ABC store, causing chaos, and eventually being found passed out in the bathroom on Friday, November 28, has captured nationwide interest. It has sparked Virginia ABC to create themed advertisements and cocktail recipes, led to a community-wide scavenger hunt, and even inspired a whimsical pet election.

In a video that quickly went viral, the raccoon can be seen stumbling through the ABC store in Hanover, providing entertainment for viewers everywhere.

One of the most significant outcomes of this incident is a special merchandise campaign that has successfully raised over $200,000 for the Hanover County Animal Protection Shelter as of the latest reports.

The story continues, as evidenced by a recent episode of Hanover County’s podcast, “Hear In Hanover,” released on Thursday, December 11. The episode featured an interview with Animal Protection Officer Samantha Martin, who was the first responder to this unusual call on the morning of Saturday, November 29.

Nov. 29 incident involving a raccoon breaking into a Hanover County Virginia ABC store. (Photo: Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter)

“This is not the first time he’s been in one of the buildings,” Martin said, referring to the strip mall in which the ABC store is located. “Supposedly, this is the third break-in he’s had. He was in the karate studio – I think he got into the DMV [and] ate some of their snacks one time.”

Martin said she took the raccoon back to the shelter and let him rest in a dog kennel out back for a few hours. She emphasized how important it was to keep him isolated from staff and volunteers because, if he accidentally broke someone’s skin, the shelter would have to perform a rabies test on him – and rabies tests can only be performed if an animal is euthanized.

“For his safety, I was dead set — ‘Do not touch this animal. We need him back into the wild,’” Martin said. “Because he didn’t do anything wrong. He was just having a good time!”

Once the raccoon finished sleeping off his bad decisions, he was released back into the area surrounding the strip mall. But why would authorities return him to the scene of his apparent crime spree?

“We don’t relocate him, because that’s a death sentence for raccoons,” Martin explained. “But somehow he knows how to get back in this building. He’s a smart little critter!”

She emphasized that she knows this trashed panda will be back – but she hopes he’ll maybe know better and drink in moderation next time.

“I hope he learned his lesson,” Martin said. “But I just say, enjoy your life. I think he’s living his best life – and why not? Have a drink or two, especially on Black Friday!”

Martin added that no one at the Hanover County Animal Protection Shelter thought this story would go as far as it did. Martin admitted that she hadn’t even wanted to post the photos at first, as she wasn’t confident that anyone would find the caper funny. She said the fact that it ended up on SNL was “crazy” – but in the best way.

She said that it’s been wonderful to see people come together and laugh, especially during stressful times.

“I think people can see the human side of it — and everybody’s been there,” Martin said. “Everybody’s had a few extra and passed out by the toilet and hoped somebody can come and help you the next morning.”

More than anything, Martin said she’s been so happy to see how much money this has raised for the shelter.

“We desperately need it [the money] because our shelter is extremely old,” she said. “And the county is growing like wildfire – we can’t keep up. We need more kennel space, we need a bigger well … we just need a bigger shelter, for the size of the county.”

According to Martin, the company that’s producing the charitable merchandise, Bonfire, actually reached out to the shelter with this idea. Again, shelter staff never thought “Trashed Panda” shirts, hoodies and more would be as successful as they have been. Martin admitted many of them just liked the idea of having shirts for themselves, which Bonfire was happy to provide – but then this campaign, much like this story itself, took on a life of its own.

These limited-time items, as of the time of reporting, will only be available for a few more days. You can browse all of the Trashed Panda merchandise here.

The funds raised through these sales will hopefully pay for a new well or an addition onto the shelter, Martin said.

“You have no idea what you have done,” she said when asked what she’d tell those who have contributed. “We are so, so grateful. The animals, truly, are blessed – and we do try our very best to save [every animal.]”