I've been seeing raccoons all over the place lately, probably because of the cold.

Get our free mobile app

As a reminder: Don’t give raccoons access to your garbage. Keep your garbage can lid on tight. Keep your cans in tightfitting bins, a shed, or a garage. As cute as these critters might seem, they can be an outright rascal.

WSDOT
WSDOT
loading...

Can you legally have a raccoon as a pet in Washington?

I had a co-worker in PA who had two pet raccoons. He would often bring them to visit. It's not uncommon to see these "trash pandas" as pets in the eastern United States. However, not everyone agrees on this.

From the WSDA website:

It is illegal to own animals that may infect people with rabies. Animals illegal to own under this law include:
Bats
Skunks
Foxes
Raccoons
Coyotes

No, it is NOT legal to have a pet raccoon in the state of Washington. It's illegal to possess wild animals in Washington. Part of the reason is the risk of rabies. According to the Washington Department of Health:

Rabies is a severe viral disease that affects the central nervous system. It is almost always fatal. All warm-blooded mammals including humans are susceptible to rabies.

 

From the CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about rabies:

Only one human has ever died from the raccoon strain of rabies.  It isn’t uncommon for a healthy raccoon to be active in the daytime, but it's highly unusual for a raccoon to be aggressive toward a person. A female may boldly defend her young, arching her back and growling or giving a loud “whoof,” and perhaps lunging at a person she deems threatening. Only very rarely will a raccoon chase after someone seen as threatening.

 

Canva
Canva
loading...

It is legal to have a raccoon as a pet in the following states:

Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Even in these 14 states, you might need a permit. Review the current status of raccoon pet laws in the United States before thinking about a masked bandit as a pet.

Of course, things are different in other parts of the world. There is one person known as the "Raccoon Whisperer" on YouTube who lives in Canada and well, he's earned his title. Just watch this video!

LOOK: Here are the pets banned in each state

Because the regulation of exotic animals is left to states, some organizations, including The Humane Society of the United States, advocate for federal, standardized legislation that would ban owning large cats, bears, primates, and large poisonous snakes as pets.

Read on to see which pets are banned in your home state, as well as across the nation.

Gallery Credit: Elena Kadvany

States with the most registered hunters

Stacker analyzed data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to determine which states have the most registered hunters. Read on to see how your state ranks on Stacker’s list.

Gallery Credit: Meagan Drillinger

LOOK: Stunning animal photos from around the world

From grazing Tibetan antelope to migrating monarch butterflies, these 50 photos of wildlife around the world capture the staggering grace of the animal kingdom. The forthcoming gallery runs sequentially from air to land to water, and focuses on birds, land mammals, aquatic life, and insects as they work in pairs or groups, or sometimes all on their own.

Gallery Credit: Nicole Caldwell

More From 98.3 KEYW