Raccoons not criminals
North Shore News
Published: Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Dear Editor:

From title to captions, I object to this irresponsible journalism in Melanie Kuxdorf's recent article (The Dangers of Animal Magnetism, North Shore News, Aug. 24).

How misleading to declare raccoons a threat to domestic pets, when the opposite is true. Raccoons are known to fight only to defend themselves when cornered, usually by a dog and sometimes a cat. I have seen raccoons share a meal with a cat, and have yet to see one chasing a dog.

They, like bears, coyotes and other wildlife, have lost their habitat to humans. Statistics show that more raccoons are injured and/or killed by domestic pets than the other way around. We have an obligation to keep our pets away from them.

The story's misguided and flippant remarks do a great disservice to a species already maligned and mistreated.

The truth is that it is our feral residents who are in the most danger because of us. The least we can do is respect the little space they have. They have just as much a right to be here.

Terry Yada

North Vancouver