Staff at a Virginia liquor store were stunned on Saturday to discover a raccoon had broken in and raided the spirits section while the store was closed for Thanksgiving.
The “masked bandit” was later found passed out in the bathroom between the toilet and a bin after helping itself to bottles from a low shelf.
Animal control officer Samantha Martin collected the raccoon for questioning at the Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter, giving it time to sober up before release. After a few hours of rest and with no visible injuries beyond a possible hangover, the animal was safely returned to the wild.
The Ashland ABC store suffered what staff jokingly called a “Black Friday break-in,” with smashed bottles and spilled liquor covering the floor. The raccoon’s apparent drink of choice was scotch.
Officer Martin said the animal had entered by falling through a ceiling tile and then went on a “full-blown rampage, drinking everything.” Only one blurry CCTV image captured the incident, so it remains unclear how much alcohol the raccoon consumed before passing out.
The store took to social media to thank the animal shelter for handling the situation professionally and providing the raccoon with a “sober ride home.” Officer Martin described the incident as “just another day in the life of an animal control officer.”
