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Annie's Story

What a Difference a Day Makes

July 5th was a lovely summer’s day. The sky was clear, the birds were singing and all seemed right in the world. Annie’s mother decided it was just the kind of day to take her little family out foraging. As raccoons do, they all followed behind her, single file, glad to be off on this new adventure. Annie tucked her little nose in behind her brother’s tail and followed dutifully along. She felt the grass tickle at her fur, enjoyed the warm earth beneath her tactile toes, and raised her nose to catch any scents that might be wafting on the summer breeze. “Life”, she thought, ”is wonderful.” Nothing could have prepared her for what was to come. For suddenly, her mother was screaming. The sky seemed dark, the earth shook and blood was everywhere. Annie froze in shock and disbelief. For what seemed an eternity, she could not move. When instinct finally did kick in, it cried “Quick! Quick! Hide! Get Away!” Away from the fearful cries of her mother and her siblings. Away from the man with the hoe!

As fast as her small legs could manage, she dodged and scurried. She found a dense bush and squeezed inside. Totally traumatized, she lay there trying to block out what she had seen; unable to grasp that her family was gone. All she knew was that she was only eight weeks old and she was very, very afraid.

She lay there a long time. The man was gone. The hoe was gone. Still, she could not move. How long she would have lain there before her courage returned is unknown. Now, another man had come. This man did not have a hoe. Instead, he picked her up and gently placed her inside a box. She did not know it then but she was on her way to Critter Care. Her future, she felt, was still unsure and her panicked heart was not consoled.

Fortunately for Annie, Mr. McGregor was indeed a kind man. He has seen his neighbour with the hoe but, because he could not believe what he was seeing, he had not been quick to intervene in time to save the rest of Annie’s family. But he had found little Annie and he brought her to a safe haven at Critter Care. Staff was very distressed to hear her story and Annie was quickly tucked away in a warm, quiet place for the night.

When Gail Martin learned the story the following day, she was so angry and upset, she was determined that something had to be done. It did not take long for her to find out the name of the man with the hoe, to phone him, and to demand how, in good conscience, he could do such a thing. His belligerent response was that “he was within his rights. He would kill anything that came on his property!” Not one to leave it at that, Gail immediately phoned both the SPCA and the RCMP insisting that the man be charged. However, the SPCA later advised that, after a brief investigation, the RCMP was not prepared to do anything about it. “After all, the man was 80 years old.” As if that justified what he had done!

In the meantime, little Annie was not doing well. She couldn’t or wouldn’t eat. She was still badly traumatized. She was simply afraid of everything. Eventually, staff had to resort to force-feeding her. Fortunately, the good fairy of woodland creatures still smiled on Annie. Two more orphaned raccoons had arrived. Just a couple of weeks younger, they were placed in Annie’s enclosure to keep her company. These young kits were just what the doctor ordered. Annie forgot about herself and took them under her wing, almost becoming their surrogate mother. Her own fears began to ease. She started to eat on her own and to trust the world around her. She still doesn’t trust people, but her health improves daily. She continues to mother the little ones in her charge. In the spring, Annie and her surrogate family will be released to a safer neighbourhood. After all that she has been through, Annie deserves a second chance to live the full life that nature intended.

…And the man with the hoe? Well, Gail has told him that she is sure that his own personal hell will be a place where the raccoons own all the hoes!

If it weren’t for Critter Care Wildlife Society, Annie and all critters like her would never stand a chance at life. Can you help us continue our work? Donations can be sent to Critter Care Wildlife Society, 481 216th Street Langley, B.C. V2Z 1R5.

Mavis Sutton

Critter Care Wildlife Society

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