Would you bring your pet into the pet store if it meant receiving a $1,000 fine?
A New York couple brought their pet raccoon with them when shopping for food, AP reports, only to be reported to law enforcement by the staff. Each of them is required to pay $500 for their involvement in the raccoon’s shopping spree.
According to the authorities, it is illegal to bring raccoons out in public because they are known to transmit rabies. After officials confiscated the raccoon from the couple, it was tested for the virus; the result was negative.
For those who wish to avoid such fines, it might be best to avoid bringing your wild or exotic pets into the public — or owning them, to begin with.