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Raccoon suffers severe burns in alleged animal cruelty incident in Quincy

“This raccoon has a long road to recovery ahead, but he is a fighter and we will do everything we can to get him through.”

New England Wildlife Center

January 4, 2024

1 minute to read

A raccoon is in critical condition with severe burns after a Quincy man allegedly tried to set the animal on fire last weekend.

Andrew Chieu, 63, allegedly built an outdoor fire in a tin can and placed the caged raccoon on top as the flames grew, according to Quincy police. Chieu pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a felony charge of animal cruelty and was released on personal recognizance. His next court date is Feb. 15.

Previously:

Quincy man allegedly tried to set caged raccoon on fire, police say

Chieu’s lawyer did not return a message Wednesday seeking comment.

Authorities brought the injured raccoon to the New England Wildlife Center in South Weymouth, which said in a Facebook post that the animal suffered severe and “extremely painful” burns to his stomach, back, and paws.

“Right now we are working hard to stabilize this patient by providing multiple pain meds, antibiotics, fluids and nutritional support,” New England Wildlife Center reported. “This raccoon has a long road to recovery ahead, but he is a fighter and we will do everything we can to get him through.”

Almost all of the raccoon’s fur was burned off or singed in the fire, the center said.

In a comment below the post, New England Wildlife Center added: “This patient’s attitude, appetite, and bright mentation has shown us that our pain control protocol is currently effective and that the raccoon’s [quality] of life is still good enough to continue with treatment.”

Raccoons, the center noted, play a key role in Massachusetts’s urban and suburban ecosystems by eating rodents and insects and by helping to clear decaying carrion and backyard vegetation.

“There are plenty of reasons to love these curious creatures and if you practice a few key safety tips it is easy to co-exist with them,” New England Wildlife Center wrote.