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People In Toronto Made Memorial For Dead Raccoon After City Forgot To Pick It Up For 12 Hrs
United by mourning and healing, the people of Toronto have rallied around an anonymous hero – a dead raccoon who lay on the sidewalk for more than 12 hours before the city’s animal services finally scooped it up to take it to a better place.
After he was reported to Toronto’s city administration and animal control department on the morning of July 9th, more than 12 hours elapsed before he was eventually removed. In that time, a memorial shrine was erected around the poor raccoon, complete with photos, cards, candles, roses, and a trending hashtag – #deadraccoonto. At around 11:00 at night, the party was over – animal services finally picked him up, more than a little chagrined. But the Toronto raccoon was not forgotten, and people were still lighting candles in memoriam.
More info: Twitter
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At 9 A.M. on Thursday, a man in Toronto reported a dead raccoon on the sidewalk to the city
Message received
Around noon, however, someone placed a note next to it
6 hours later, he was found with a flower, a card and a framed photo
Someone gave the raccoon its own personal memorial hastag, #DeadRaccoonTO
Sharpies and memorial cards appeared
At around 8 P.M., he was still there, and the flowers were piling up
One city councilor offered to leave bins open as a sign of mourning and respect
The councilor even made a Drake reference
Almost 12 hours later – at 8:20 P.M. – the raccoon was still there
Passersby began a candlelight vigil
Someone even places a Jesus candle
“The proper authorities will only move this little fella when enough funds are raised”
People continued to leave him messages of love and grief
Toronto’s animal services showed up around 11:00
Goodnight, sweet prince
He’s gone, but people are still lighting candles
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What do you think ?
DavidMann 10 years ago
Personally, I think that they dignified the poor creatures demise; death is a fact of life but for it to have been left lying on the sidewalk for such a long time was stripping it of its dignity. The flowers and candles were a tongue-in-cheek critique of Animal Services but also respectful to the animal.
CameronDeVries 10 years ago
Yeah whatever spirit it was done in, that was beautiful. The framed photo almost made me cry. I think we all would want to remembered that way. .
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JovanaDacic 10 years ago
Canada man....land of Bieber and compassion to literally everything and everyone.
KristlePottsHolloway 10 years ago
Yup, that's us minus Bieber of course. We don't want him either.
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SherryStraus 10 years ago
I'm sorry but I would have taken the poor thing after a few hours and buried it myself but I live up north where that might be more possible then downtown Toronto? But I would have taken the time to box it up so no children had too see or birds getting at it.
Noor 10 years ago
Never mind all these "It could be sick" people... If it is sick you prob don't wanna eat it for supper but to pick it up in a box and bury it is just fine. Nothing gonna happen to you and if you think it does you really need to educate yourself a bit better. Would have done the same thing, just pick it up and bury it. Let the bugs do the rest. Because in about a couple of days there is nothing left for any dog or other animal to dig up.. dumb city people have no clue.. sigh
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GraceInRainbows 10 years ago
I would love this to be sincere and not a joke. As a buddhist I hope he is a Pure Land now. And for the people who joked about this, please think about that for a moment. He/she is just like us. Show some respect for a dead being, the next one could be any of you.
CrackrJax 10 years ago
What are you referring to? The tweets? Because they showed immense respect for the raccoon! It was rather heart warming!
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RoseanneJames 10 years ago
I lke to think that this is a sincere act by people that 'knew' this racoon because there's also a photo of it very much alive although I know this could be a cynical act too. But I agree with Sherry I would have removed it after a few hours & buried it on my garden & probably planted something pretty over it. No doubt I will get negative remarks about disease now. But I live in the UK & there would be no concern about disease here. I've buried cats that I've found on the road & as I have cats of my own, l like to think someone honour my cats in the same way if it was found dead on the road. <3
RamonaPfiefer 10 years ago
I don't think that's a picture of this particular raccoon. It was a sweet, albeit tongue in cheek gesture. It's very kind what you do for the cats you find.
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JoshWeinstein 10 years ago
Wow! Canada seems like a truly lovely country! Here in the US, if a Republican found it, Fox News would have shown it every 15 minutes accompanied by medical experts to terrorize the public into fearing an outbreak of disease and used it as an excuse to privatize the animal control department. Then, their commentators would have come up with 20 reasons for why this was all Obama's fault...
MorganGiulianelli 10 years ago
Wow. What an interesting thing to have brought people together like that. I find it very endearing and restores a tad bit more of my faith in humanity.
DavidMann 10 years ago
Personally, I think that they dignified the poor creatures demise; death is a fact of life but for it to have been left lying on the sidewalk for such a long time was stripping it of its dignity. The flowers and candles were a tongue-in-cheek critique of Animal Services but also respectful to the animal.
CameronDeVries 10 years ago
Yeah whatever spirit it was done in, that was beautiful. The framed photo almost made me cry. I think we all would want to remembered that way. .
Load More Replies... JovanaDacic 10 years ago
Canada man....land of Bieber and compassion to literally everything and everyone.
KristlePottsHolloway 10 years ago
Yup, that's us minus Bieber of course. We don't want him either.
Load More Replies... SherryStraus 10 years ago
I'm sorry but I would have taken the poor thing after a few hours and buried it myself but I live up north where that might be more possible then downtown Toronto? But I would have taken the time to box it up so no children had too see or birds getting at it.
Noor 10 years ago
Never mind all these "It could be sick" people... If it is sick you prob don't wanna eat it for supper but to pick it up in a box and bury it is just fine. Nothing gonna happen to you and if you think it does you really need to educate yourself a bit better. Would have done the same thing, just pick it up and bury it. Let the bugs do the rest. Because in about a couple of days there is nothing left for any dog or other animal to dig up.. dumb city people have no clue.. sigh
Load More Replies... GraceInRainbows 10 years ago
I would love this to be sincere and not a joke. As a buddhist I hope he is a Pure Land now. And for the people who joked about this, please think about that for a moment. He/she is just like us. Show some respect for a dead being, the next one could be any of you.
CrackrJax 10 years ago
What are you referring to? The tweets? Because they showed immense respect for the raccoon! It was rather heart warming!
Load More Replies... RoseanneJames 10 years ago
I lke to think that this is a sincere act by people that 'knew' this racoon because there's also a photo of it very much alive although I know this could be a cynical act too. But I agree with Sherry I would have removed it after a few hours & buried it on my garden & probably planted something pretty over it. No doubt I will get negative remarks about disease now. But I live in the UK & there would be no concern about disease here. I've buried cats that I've found on the road & as I have cats of my own, l like to think someone honour my cats in the same way if it was found dead on the road. <3
RamonaPfiefer 10 years ago
I don't think that's a picture of this particular raccoon. It was a sweet, albeit tongue in cheek gesture. It's very kind what you do for the cats you find.
Load More Replies... JoshWeinstein 10 years ago
Wow! Canada seems like a truly lovely country! Here in the US, if a Republican found it, Fox News would have shown it every 15 minutes accompanied by medical experts to terrorize the public into fearing an outbreak of disease and used it as an excuse to privatize the animal control department. Then, their commentators would have come up with 20 reasons for why this was all Obama's fault...
MorganGiulianelli 10 years ago
Wow. What an interesting thing to have brought people together like that. I find it very endearing and restores a tad bit more of my faith in humanity.
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