Abused Raccoon Passes Away at New England Wildlife Center

It was a sad day at the office for the team at New England Wildlife Center.

After a Quincy man intentionally lit a raccoon on fire, the raccoon was brought to the New England Wildlife Center in South Weymouth, and after about two weeks of treatment, the raccoon passed away due to their injuries on Friday.

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Andrew Chieu Charged with Animal Cruelty

Quincy Police arrested Andrew Chieu of Quincy with animal cruelty after he was accused of placing a live raccoon in a cage over a fire that he had started.

“The first officers who arrived at the home said they saw two neighbors arguing and a live raccoon in a trap cage with apparent burn injuries,” reported WCVB.

Video evidence showed Chieu starting a fire in a tin can and placing the raccoon above the flames, trapping it in a cage.

Chieu was arraigned in Quincy District Court on January 2^nd on a charge of animal cruelty.

New England Wildlife Center Attempts to Save the Raccoon

On January 3^rd, the center shared that the animal was in critical condition and suffered from severe burns to her stomach, back, and paws.

Over the next ten days, the raccoon underwent three surgeries to address the burns, but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough.

“This morning, we found her more lethargic than usual and shortly after her morning meds, she arrested” shared the center. “Though CPR was attempted and emergency medications administered, we simply weren’t able to get her back.”

The images are unsettling and the story is gut-wrenching, but the center hopes this animal’s story will encourage others to “co-exist with these amazing animals” and will help prevent similar tragedies in the future.