Virginia: Raccoon breaks into liquor store, guzzles whisky and passes out after chaotic overnight rampage

A raccoon broke into a liquor store, knocked back whisky and smashed bottles before staff found him passed out on the bathroom floor after an overnight rampage.

Madeline Cove
The Nightly
Drunk raccoon passes out after wild liquor store bender.
Drunk raccoon passes out after wild liquor store bender. Credit: Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter/Facebook

A masked intruder broke into a closed Virginia liquor store in the early hours of Saturday, targeting the bottom shelf where the scotch and whisky were kept. The scene left behind would have made any owner wince — smashed bottles, a fallen ceiling tile and booze pooled across the floor.

But the culprit’s behaviour made perfect sense once his identity became clear: the thief was a raccoon.

Staff at the Ashland-area liquor store found the animal passed out on the bathroom floor on Saturday morning, apparently sleeping off a wild, self-inflicted bender, AP News revealed.

Sign up to The Nightly's newsletters.

Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.

Email Us
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.

“I personally like raccoons,” said Samantha Martin, an officer with the local animal control unit.

“They are funny little critters. He fell through one of the ceiling tiles and went on a full-blown rampage, drinking everything.”

The party animal left chaos behind after tearing through the bottom-shelf liquor.
The party animal left chaos behind after tearing through the bottom-shelf liquor. Credit: Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter/Facebook/Facebook

Ms Martin said she transported the raccoon back to the animal shelter, laughing to herself as she did so.

“Another day in the life of an animal control officer, I guess,” she said.

The Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter praised Martin for handling the unusual break-in and confirmed their furry suspect had recovered.

The racoon slept off his hangover after the big night.
The racoon slept off his hangover after the big night. Credit: Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter/Facebook/Facebook

“After a few hours of sleep and zero signs of injury (other than maybe a hangover and poor life choices), he was safely released back to the wild, hopefully having learned that breaking and entering is not the answer,” the agency said.

Comments

Latest Edition

The Nightly cover for 03-03-2026

Latest Edition

Edition Edition 3 March 20263 March 2026

President vows US can fight war ‘forever’ as he mulls deploying ground troops to Iran.