Raccoons ‘aggressively’ seized from ‘squalid’ Ontario sanctuary, competing court docs claim

Court documents from a raccoon sanctuary and the Ontario government paint vastly different pictures of how the animals lived and how a raid went down.

Content warning: This story contains graphic descriptions that some readers may find disturbing.

The Ontario government and a raccoon sanctuary it raided are trading accusations over the future care of the animals and the conditions they were living in.

Court documents submitted by Mally’s Third Chance Raccoon Sanctuary and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF)  paint vastly different pictures of how the animals lived and how a government raid went down.

On Sept. 26, officials with the MNRF carried out a search warrant at Mally’s, a Kawartha Lakes sanctuary, seizing 95 raccoons.

In its submission, the sanctuary says the province engaged in a harrowing raid of the raccoon sanctuary and “violently” seized raccoons.

The government, on the other hand, argues the wildlife sanctuary’s legal action is “meritless” and should be dismissed. In their court submission, provincial lawyers describe neglected and sickly raccoons roaming around a house, with domestic pets and people.

In a factum filed with a Peterborough, Ont., court in November, Mally’s argues around 50 officers with the MNRF were involved in the raid on the property.

The group alleges the officers — “many of whom carried guns” — were at the property for around eight hours.