Raccoon Who Passed Out After Liquor Store Break-In Has Now Raised $290,000 for Animal Shelter
The drunk raccoon and the mess he made in ABC liquor store in Ashland, Va last yearCredit: Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter
A raccoon who broke into a Virginia liquor store and passed out in the bathroom last November has helped raise more than $290,000 for an animal shelter
Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter turned the animal’s antics into a merchandise collection called “Trashed Panda”
The money is now helping the shelter care for animals and purchase new equipment for its officers
A raccoon who got drunk, trashed a liquor store and passed out beside a toilet has somehow managed to turn his wild night into a $290,000 act of charity.
Nearly a year after the masked troublemaker made headlines for his booze-fueled break-in at a Virginia liquor store, Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter has raised more than $290,000 selling merchandise inspired by his antics, according to The Washington Post.
“We never thought a raccoon would do this for us,” Jeffrey Parker, Hanover County’s chief of animal protection, told the outlet.
The raccoon’s unexpected rise to fame began on Nov. 29, 2025, when he broke into an ABC liquor store in Ashland, Va., and knocked bottles of alcohol off the shelves.
After apparently helping himself to some of the liquor, the animal was discovered sprawled face down on the bathroom floor beside a toilet the following morning.
Animal protection officers brought the intoxicated raccoon to the shelter, where he spent several hours sobering up before being safely released back into the wild.
Photos of the furry culprit’s unfortunate predicament quickly spread around the world, even inspiring a Saturday Night Live sketch. But Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter saw an opportunity to turn the raccoon’s questionable decisions into something positive.
The drunk raccoon found in a bathroom after breaking into an ABC liquor storeCredit: Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter
The department teamed up with apparel company Bonfire to launch a merchandise collection featuring an illustration of the passed-out raccoon alongside the nickname “Trashed Panda.”
Fans could purchase everything from T-shirts and sweatshirts to hats, mugs and stickers, with seasonal designs featuring slogans like “Hot Trash Summer” and “Trick or Trashed.”
The response was overwhelming, with the campaign bringing in more than $290,000 — far exceeding the shelter’s usual annual donations of less than $20,000, according to The Washington Post.
The money is already being put to good use, helping fund body cameras for the department’s eight animal protection officers, which will assist with animal cruelty investigations and other calls.
According to WWBT, the department is also investing in new animal housing, toys, a temperature-controlled food shed and a community pet pantry.
Parker told The Washington Post that he hopes to use some of the remaining funds to establish an emergency fund for injured animals rescued by officers.
The raccoon’s contribution hasn’t gone unnoticed by local officials, either.
“I don’t know when we’ve owed a debt of gratitude to any animal as much as we do to that raccoon,” Hanover County board supervisor Faye Prichard said during an Oct. 28 meeting, according to The Washington Post.
And with the first anniversary of the raccoon’s infamous night approaching, the department is giving fans one last chance to celebrate its unlikely celebrity.
In a Nov. 3 Facebook post, Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter announced its final “Trashed Panda” merchandise collection, thanking supporters for turning the animal’s misadventure into something meaningful.
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“One bad night really did lead to a whole lot of good,” the department wrote.
As for the raccoon himself, nobody knows exactly where he ended up after his release, although Parker said the department hasn’t received any more reports of raccoon break-ins.
“No telling where he’s at. Hopefully he’s living a good life, not doing any kind of more breaking and entering businesses and all that, and living a good life, we hope,” Parker told WWBT. “A sober one.”
Source: Nature
