Racoon

Jeff Green | Jul 19, 2012

Back to HomeFeature Article - July 19, 2012 Thieves Make Off With Dead RacoonBy Jeff Green

A number of break-ins occurred last week in the Bradshaw Road area near Tichborne.

Among the victims was a newly retired woman who recently moved to the area. The home invasion took place between noon and 2 pm on Thursday, July 12. She lost all of her jewelry, except for what she was wearing at the time - an entire life’s collection of valuable items.  More importantly, many items of great sentimental value to her, which she planned to pass on to her children and grandchildren, were stolen.  One of her most treasured pieces was a 150-year-old violet multi-faceted bone china crucifix that belonged to her grandmother. Many more pieces were stolen that mean more to her and her family than they would to anyone else.

But in addition to the jewelry, the thieves made off with a surprise item!

In the freezer of the home, there was a jewelry box that was wrapped in a pink bag. The thieves took it, no doubt thinking it contained the most valuable of the woman’s jewelry.

“I can just imagine their faces when they opened their treasure box!” the woman, who wishes not to be identified, chuckled to The News.

Instead of jewelry, the box contained a dead baby raccoon, about the size of a squirrel. A while ago, the woman discovered the baby raccoon, which had been orphaned. She tried to keep the baby raccoon alive until it was strong enough to survive in the wild, but the raccoon died.  She was so attached to it that she decided to take it to a local taxidermist. In the meantime she wrapped it up and placed in a jewelry box, which she then put into a pink plastic bag and stored in her freezer for delivery to the taxidermist on July 12.  When she opened her freezer to get the baby raccoon, it was gone.  It was then that she discovered her home had been broken into.

The woman is offering a financial reward to anyone with information leading to the return of her stolen items and resulting in the apprehension and arrest of the thieves.  Please contact Crime-Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or www.crime-stoppers.on.ca, the Frontenac Detachment of the OPP at 613-372-1932 or the investigating officer, Dean Snider at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..