Raccoon helpers pay fine Franklin Township couple wants to put critter caper to rest By Kristin Baver - Press Enterprise Writer November 13, 2014 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FRANKLIN TWP. — Jerami and Shawna Rhodes sought the advice of four lawyers after a Game Commission officer killed their friendly, orphaned raccoon and cited them for illegally keeping the wild animal. Three of the attorneys said the chances of fighting the charges and winning were slim. The last saw a glimmer of hope, but was better versed in human, not animal rights, Mr. Rhodes said. Ultimately, the couple decided to plead guilty, knowing that nothing would change the fact that Dixie was dead. The family will have to pay $183 in fines and fees. “I did wrong.... I just wanted it to be over,” Mr. Rhodes said. “It was one of the worst days of my life.” “I gave so much time and effort and TLC just to have someone come murder her,” Mrs. Rhodes added. Game Commission officials said they had no choice but to put the animal down due to the threat of rabies. Subsequent tests on Dixie’s brain came back negative for the disease. ‘Nightmares and heartache’ Mr. Rhodes, 37, is an avid hunter and fisherman, studiously paying for licenses and acquiring permits every year, his wife said. “We do everything by the book.” But by the time they knew they needed a permit for Dixie, it was too late; Officer John Morack was already at the door of their 180 Susque View Road home here. The shooting was hard on the whole family. Mrs. Rhodes said her husband “can look down the scope of a gun and take a deer out, but that guy just brought him to his knees when he said he had to dispose of (Dixie).” Their sons — Evan, 4, and Jonathan Fletcher, 18 — miss the critter terribly. “I wish I could give (Morack) some of my nightmares and heartache,” Mrs. Rhodes said. She says the memory of him shooting the tame animal is seared into her brain. ‘Saved us from nothing’ The family pleaded to have the raccoon quarantined until Dixie could be tested and they could get the required permit, but officials said that wasn’t an option. Department of Health rules said the animal must be killed, even if it doesn’t show signs of rabies, according to Game Commission Officer William Williams. Mrs. Rhodes and her family had cared for Dixie since she was a baby, and they had no concerns about her health. To add to their grief, they say officials have offered no apology and shown no remorse. “(Morack) saved us from absolutely nothing. I didn’t see the need for him to do what he did.... This was a 4-month-old baby.” The family has discussed getting a permit to care for other wild animals, but can’t afford the cost right now. “We’re kind of strapped,” Mrs. Rhodes said. But the ordeal isn’t “going to deter me from helping the next abandoned or injured animal one bit.” Kristin Baver can be reached at [email protected]
Posted on: Thu, 13 Nov 2014 15:53:23 +0000
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