Editor: Re: The photo of a technician with a raccoon on Langley Times July 15, front page. What was someone thinking?
I felt so sick to my stomach to think such a great and responsible (I thought) place like Critter Care would show a raccoon draped around this gal’s neck like a cat. It appears to be shot in the day — how sad, shades of the raccoons in Stanley Park.
I saw a raccoon remove a cookie from the hand of a toddler. The people said ‘aw’ and ‘naughty’ until they noticed the toddler’s hand was bleeding. They thought the toddler was crying because his cookie was taken.
It’s always cute until someone gets hurt.
Now what happens to these very tame raccoons? We trained them and tamed them — they comply for food.
Does it get released or stay in Critter Care?
What of the example it sets? Should we all now think that our backyard bandits could (should) be trained. Just reach out and touch them after all I saw it on the front page of The Times.
Nowhere does it caution me that this might be dangerous, and it is so cute.
I’m sure only the best intentions were meant by Critter Care and the photographer, but what could happen as a result?
They are wild animals and should be afforded the dignity of that status.
Anne Boucher,
Langley