Clinton Twp man's pet raccoon euthanized after escaping, biting 6-year-old

CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (FOX 2) - A child is being watched for rabies and a man's pet raccoon has been euthanized after the animal escaped and attacked a 6-year-old girl in Clinton Township.

Patrick McClusky is understandably angry after his 6-year-old daughter was attacked in their backyard Wednesday afternoon. He said he was forced to capture a raccoon after it attacked his little girl and his 8-year-old son.

"I seen it was acting funny running in circles and falling down, dripping from his nose," Patrick said. "These people come over screaming it's their pet. They slide the door open, my daughter's screaming and crying - her leg's bleeding. The raccoon is on the steps, trying to chase them in the house. It ripped my sons pants."

Patrick said after the pet raccoon, named Bandit, got loose and attacked his daughter, the neighbors came over and said he's their pet and had somehow gotten loose.

"They're coming over here, yelling at the fence, coming over to the fence, callin' him over. (They're saying) come on give daddy kisses. Come on baby come home."

Patrick caught Bandit and animal control officers then took him into custody. 

Joel Bandrow has owned Bandit for three years and says the Raccoon isn't aggressive and loves people.

"I love my raccoon and I don't want nothing to happen to it," Joel said. "My granddaughter - he sleeps with the grandbabies when they come over. He's a pet. I will cough up a loogie and he will eat it from my mouth. I'm his mother."

Patrick says the critter didn't seem exactly kind. 

"It acts crazy, it hisses and tries to attack people. It drips from its nose, I don't know what it has. It's not just rabies there's a lot of diseases that unvaccinated animals carry."

Macomb County Animal Control says everything is under investigation and Bandit was quarantined as they waited to hear from the Department of Natural Resources. 

"Do I want a little raccoon to die? No I don't. This thing looks sick," Patrick said, whose daughter is now undergoing several rounds of shots. "My kid's life is more important than some wild animal. I'm sorry. It is."

Animal control officers said late Thursday that they must take the matter seriously and euthanize Bandit. He'll be sent to Lansing to be tested for rabies.