How the viral drunk raccoon passing out in a bathroom became a financial boon for one animal shelter

One viral “trashed panda” has turned out to be a cash cow for a Virginia animal shelter.The raccoon that raided an Ashland liquor store last December, sampled 14 bottles of booze, and passed out beside a toilet, has helped raise more than $290,000 for Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter, Jeffrey Parker, the county’s chief of animal protection, told the Washington Post Thursday.The furry felon made global headlines after a store manager found the animal unconscious, face down next to the toilet. The raccoon recovered and was released into the wild about a mile away, but its boozy escapade inspired an “Saturday Night Live” skit and a lucrative merchandise line.“I couldn’t really believe it,” Parker said. The Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter teamed up with apparel company Bonfire to sell T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, mugs and stickers featuring an illustration of the passed-out raccoon next to a bottle of booze. The merchandise, emblazoned with the slogan “Trashed Panda,” quickly became a hit with customers.A drunk raccoon found passed out in a Virginia liquor store last December has become a local mascot, with branded merchandise raising more than $290,000 for an animal shelter (Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter)The shelter even expanded the collection with seasonal designs, including a summer-themed shirt reading “Hot Trash Summer” and a Halloween version dubbed “Trick or Trashed.” The sales have generated more than $290,000 over the past year, which surpasses the department’s less than $20,000 in annual donations.“We never thought a raccoon would do this for us,” Parker said told the Post. The unexpected influx of cash has allowed the department to fund long-awaited equipment for its animal protection officers. Parker said one priority was purchasing body cameras for the department’s eight officers, who previously had to borrow cameras from the county sheriff’s office when needed.The cameras will help officers document evidence in animal abuse investigations and court proceedings, as well as resolve complaints against officers, Parker said.During its liquor store raid, the raccoon destroyed and likely tasted multiple bottles of alcohol before being released back into the wild about a mile away from the liquor storeHanover County residents also voiced support for the initiative, with dozens backing the purchase. County officials unanimously approved the body cameras at an October 28 meeting, and officers are expected to begin wearing them around January.“I don’t know when we’ve owed a debt of gratitude to any animal as much as we do to that raccoon,” board supervisor Faye Prichard said during the meeting, the Post reports. Parker is now figuring out how to spend the nearly $140,000 the department has saved from the merchandise proceeds. He hopes to establish an emergency fund to cover medical treatment for injured animals officers encounter in the field.But fear not, animal lovers. The raccoon’s infamous night on the tiles may have been fueled by its natural instincts. Raccoons are opportunistic feeders drawn to sweet smells, Sarah Bookbinder, co-founder of a raccoon rehabilitation center in Earlville, New York, told the Post.The shelter partnered with Bonfire to sell ‘Trashed Panda’ merchandise featuring the booze-loving raccoon, which quickly became a nationwide hit (Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter / Bonfire)Although little research exists on the long-term effects of alcohol on raccoons, Bookbinder said releasing the animals near where they were found is critical to their survival.“They already have communities to which they belong, and areas where they know how to find food and where their dens are,” Bookbinder said.The Hanover County shelter has not received any reports of raccoon break-ins since the animal was released last November, Parker said.During its liquor store raid, the raccoon destroyed and likely tasted bottles of rum, moonshine, scotch, Canadian whisky, vodka, peanut butter whiskey and eggnog.“Hopefully he’s living a good life somewhere,” Parker said, “and is being sober.”The shelter’s fundraising success is not over yet. Merchandise celebrating the first anniversary of the raccoon’s boozy break-in recently went on sale, featuring the slogan: “One Bad Night. A Whole Lot of Good.”