One day while walking in her hometown of Nassau, Bahamas, Rosie Kemp found a baby raccoon that had fallen out of a tree. The mother raccoon was nowhere to be seen, and the baby was injured and in need of help. Together with her daughter, Laura Young, Kemp decided to nurse the baby back to health.
The mother-daughter team named the little raccoon Pumpkin and when she was recovered, she went to live with Young and her husband — and their two dogs.
It didn’t take long for Pumpkin to settle in…and boy did she fit in well.
“She instantly bonded with us and our two rescue dogs and follows [us] everywhere we go,” Young says.
Like, really well.
Pumpkin and the dogs immediately got along, and now, the trio plays, snuggles, and lives together very happily. Since she was only a baby when she came to live with the Youngs, she simply considers herself part of the pack — and that means respecting the other members.
“She is able to play and be rough with them and she respects them when they have had enough,” Young says, explaining how Pumpkin’s behavior was shaped by her new siblings.
Pumpkin loves hanging out with the dogs, playing outside, and of course getting into just about everything. Raccoons have very dextrous front paws, and are able to do things like open jars and untie knots.
Since they aren’t domesticated the way dogs are, their behavior is very different. Young says that Pumpkin can be “moody,” but for the most part, she’s happy living the domestic life, and enjoys fried eggs, watermelon, and has even learned how to use the toilet.
