Viral Drunk Raccoon That Smashed 14 Booze Bottles Raises $290K for Virginia Animal Shelter

A raccoon that broke into a Virginia liquor store, damaged 14 bottles of spirits and passed out beside a toilet has helped raise more than $290,000 (£219,225) for the local animal shelter that took him in.

The Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter raised the funds over the past year by selling themed apparel and merchandise emblazoned with the animal's likeness and the slogan 'Trashed Panda', according to The Washington Post.

The proceeds are more than 14 times the shelter's typical annual donations of less than $20,000 (£15,117), enabling officials to purchase body cameras for animal protection officers and plan emergency medical funds for injured animals.

The Liquor Store Incident

The incident occurred on 29 November 2025, when the raccoon entered an Alcoholic Beverage Control store in Ashland, Virginia. Inside the shop, the raccoon knocked bottles from shelves, damaging 14 bottles of spirits. It apparently sampled liquor from several varieties, including rum, moonshine, scotch, Canadian whisky, vodka, peanut butter whiskey and eggnog.

A store manager discovered the raccoon unconscious and face down beside a toilet when returning to open the shop on Saturday morning. Hanover County animal protection officers rescued the animal and transported it to their shelter to recover.

After recovering with no apparent injuries, the raccoon was released back into the wild approximately one mile from the shop. 'Hopefully he's living a good life somewhere, and is being sober,' said Jeffrey Parker, Hanover County's chief of animal protection.

Parker confirmed the department has received no further reports of raccoon break-ins in the local area since the animal's release.

Merchandise Sales Drive Record Donations

Following international media coverage, the shelter partnered with the apparel company Bonfire to launch a themed merchandise line. The incident also inspired a Saturday Night Live sketch.

The collection included T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, mugs and stickers depicting the passed-out raccoon next to a bottle alongside the slogan 'Trashed Panda'. After initial sales surged, the county introduced seasonal items, including shirts featuring the phrases 'Hot Trash Summer' and 'Trick or Trashed'.

The campaign ultimately brought in more than $290,000 (£219,225), compared with the shelter's standard yearly fundraising total of under $20,000 (£15,117). 'We never thought a raccoon would do this for us,' Parker said. 'It was just remarkable the amount of feedback that came with it,' he added in an interview with local television station.

Funding Equipment and Shelter Upgrades

Hanover County officials unanimously approved the body-camera programme on 28 October. The five-year initiative is expected to cost approximately $65,000 (£49,130), with around $39,000 (£29,482) of the initial funding coming from the Trashed Panda campaign. The county will cover service costs for the programme's second through fifth years.

Previously, officers had to borrow cameras from the county sheriff's office when documenting field investigations. According to Parker, the new equipment will allow staff to record evidence for animal abuse court proceedings and review complaints against officers, with deployment scheduled for January.

'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 the October board meeting.

The shelter is also using campaign proceeds to fund new animal housing, toys, a temperature-controlled food shed and a community pet pantry, according to local television station WWBT.

Parker said approximately $140,000 (£105,833) remained in the department's funds. He said he was considering establishing an emergency medical fund to cover treatment for injured animals rescued by officers.