Pet owner Angela Cao is still shaken after her four-year-old toy poodle, Moose, was attacked by two raccoons in her Steveston backyard Sunday night.
Cao said she had let her dog out to use the “little dog’s room” when two raccoons “came out of nowhere,” jumped on him and began biting, leaving him with 23 puncture wounds.
Moose is now resting at home with a cone and a shaved body after going through major surgery.
“I ran out to my backyard as soon as I heard Moose whining,” Cao recalled. After seeing what was happening, Cao ran back in the house and grabbed a dining chair in an attempt to separate her dog from the raccoons. Her intervention worked, but suddenly the raccoons started attacking Cao.
“After seeing I was in danger, Moose came out again to save me, even though he was badly wounded,” said Cao, whose voice was quivering at the memory.
Cao then grabbed an outdoor light and threw it at the raccoons, who were finally scared out of the yard.
When Cao brought her dog inside and began washing him, she saw the extent of his injuries and immediately took Moose to the vet, who told Cao Moose would need surgery.
“Moose was lucky to survive. If I had come to rescue him a few minutes later, he would have been bitten to death,” noted Cao.
To cheer Moose up, Cao said she cooked his favourite sausages, but he wasn’t interested.
“All he wants is to be with me. Now he’s become a needy boy,” said Cao.
Cao shared her experience on social media to alert other Richmondites to be extra cautious about aggressive raccoons.
“My vet told me it’s common to see similar attacks from raccoons happening in Richmond, especially for many new immigrants who think raccoons are cute and don’t maintain distance with them.”
Meanwhile, Moose is on the mend and is expected to get his stitches out next week.
