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Woman who brought raccoon to North Dakota bar is charged
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2022-09-24 at 8:31 PM UTChttps://apnews.com/article/health-north-dakota-animals-rabies-animal-ac7149c0d9105dd1ea6080a8b9e02a65
Christensen said her family found the raccoon on the side of a road about three months ago and named it Rocky. She said they were nursing the animal back to health with plans to release it back into the wild.
It’s illegal under North Dakota Board of Animal Health laws to keep a wild raccoon. Authorities euthanized the animal, and it tested negative for rabies.
Christensen took Rocky to Maddock Bar on Sept. 6 during happy hour and showed the raccoon to customers. Bartender Cindy Smith said the animal never bit anyone at the bar.
“It’s unfair and too much was done to detain an innocent raccoon,” Christensen said in a Wednesday statement to the Bismarck Tribune. “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.”
The charges against Christensen carry a maximum punishment of about two years in jail and $7,500 in fines. Her initial court appearance is set for Monday.
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2022-09-24 at 8:49 PM UTC
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2022-09-24 at 9:23 PM UTCLady needs a fine and a small dog
