Drunk raccoon inspires merch, raises $150K for Virginia animal shelter

Drunk raccoon inspires merch, raises $150K for Virginia animal shelter

Greta Cross and Melina Khan, USA TODAY

Mon, December 8, 2025 at 8:54 PM UTC

2 min read

A drunken raccoon has inspired merchandise that is helping raise money for a Virginia animal shelter.

The Hanover County Animal Protection & Shelter in Hanover, Virginia had raised more than $156,000 on Dec. 8 for merchandise that displays a dazed raccoon "splooted" beside a spilled bottle of alcohol. The merchandise has been dubbed "Trashed Panda."

The "Trashed Panda" shirts, hoodies and travel mugs honor a raccoon that went viral for breaking into a Virginia liquor store, drinking what he could get his paws on and then passing out in the bathroom during Thanksgiving weekend.

"We are absolutely blown away," Hanover County Animal Protection & Shelter said in a Facebook post on Dec. 5. "Your support doesn’t just give us a great laugh, it directly helps fund training, equipment and shelter needs for our animals and the officers who protect them. We couldn’t do this without you."

What happened? A raccoon broke into a liquor store. It was found passed out drunk.

How to buy drunk raccoon or 'Trashed Panda' merchandise

The "Trashed Panda" merchandise is available for purchase on Bonfire, a fundraising website, through the end of Dec. 8. Classic t-shirts cost $25, hoodies are $42, stickers are $5 and travel tumblers are $36. Orders are expected to be delivered before Dec. 31, according to Bonfire.

The Hanover County Animal Protection & Shelter in Hanover, Virginia is selling Trashed Panda merchandise as part of a fundraising campaign. The merch is inspired by a raccoon who broke into a Virginia liquor store and passed out in the bathroom intoxicated on Nov. 29, 2025.

Drunk raccoon also led to new cocktails

The raccoon has also inspired three cocktails, crafted by Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC), the government agency that operates the store the animal broke into.

The cocktails include a Rye Rascal Sour, Midnight Masked Gin Fizz and Trash Panda Old Fashioned. Recipes for the drinks are available on the Virginia ABC website.

What happened to the drunk raccoon?

The creature broke into the Virginia ABC store in Ashland, Virginia on Nov. 29. Upon entering the store, the raccoon fell through one of the ceiling tiles and "went on a full-blown rampage, drinking everything," animal protection officer Samantha Martin told the Associated Press.

Photos of the scene show a variety of bottles, including some shattered, strewn across a store aisle. Another photo shows the suspect in question lying on the floor of the store's bathroom, apparently unconscious.

The raccoon was safely captured and returned to the wild, the Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter said in a statement.

Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: A drunk raccoon went viral. Now, its merch is helping other animals.

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