A Montreal man who took in an injured baby raccoon this spring now says he's fighting charges from Quebec's Environment Ministry, after videos of the two of them went viral. The raccoon, called Pepper, hasn't been found by officials. As of October 16, the case was unresolved and the man told Global News he plans to contest it in court.

What happened

According to Global News, the man found Pepper injured at a construction site in May. The raccoon is now described as seven months old. Clips of the pair spread widely online, and that's when the ministry came looking.

Earlier this month, the Montreal Gazette reported that ministry officers had served him with a search warrant. They alleged he was keeping a live raccoon in his Plateau apartment without a permit. They didn't find her.

In Quebec, you need a permit to keep a raccoon at home. The man told Global News he faces an obstruction charge, along with a ticket officials wanted to issue over the allegation that he kept Pepper at home. He hasn't been convicted of anything, and the reports we read don't describe the charges in more legal detail.

What each side says

The man says Pepper doesn't live at his home. He told Global News he's been hiding her in parks, and that attempts to release her failed because she waits in the woods for him to come back. His biggest fear, he says, is that she'd be put down if wildlife officials took her. The Gazette reported that he points to a temporary regional ban on moving some wild animals, raccoons included, which Quebec uses to limit the spread of rabies.

Sophie Gaillard of the Montreal SPCA told Global News it isn't clear whether he's legally in possession of the raccoon. She said Pepper may need a new home in a wildlife sanctuary, and pointed to a wider shortage of places in Quebec that can take injured wild animals. An online fundraiser has been set up to help pay for a sanctuary.

Neither article included a statement from the ministry.

Why it matters for animals

Plenty of people have watched Pepper's videos and asked the obvious question: what was he supposed to do? It's a fair one. A baby raccoon alone at a construction site needs help.

But raccoons are wild animals, and in parts of Quebec they're also a rabies concern, which is why the province restricts moving them. Caring for injured wildlife is the job of licensed facilities, and the SPCA says Quebec doesn't have enough places that can take them. Pepper's case shows what happens when that gap gets filled by a kind stranger instead.

What we know and don't know yet

We know there's an investigation, a search warrant and, by the man's account, at least one charge. We don't know whether the ministry will seize Pepper if it finds her, what it would do next, or when the case goes to court. Global News didn't give a court date.

What you can do

  • If you find a hurt or orphaned wild animal, don't take it home. Call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator or your local wildlife authority first.
  • Don't handle raccoons, skunks or foxes with bare hands, especially where rabies has been reported. Keep pets away from them too.
  • Keep your own pets' rabies vaccinations up to date. Talk to your vet about what's required where you live.
  • If you want to help animals like Pepper, support licensed wildlife rehabilitation centers near you. Many run on donations and volunteers.

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