Woman who brought raccoon to North Dakota bar is charged

MADDOCK, N.D. (AP) — A woman who brought a wild raccoon into a North Dakota bar, prompting state health officials to issue a warning about potential rabies exposure, is facing criminal charges. Thirty-eight-year-old Erin Christensen is charged with three misdemeanors, including unlawful possession of furbearers. Christensen said her family found the raccoon on the side of a road about three months ago and named it Rocky. Christensen took animal to Maddock Bar on Sept. 6 during happy hour and showed the raccoon to customers. That prompted the North Dakota’s Health and Human Services Department to issue a warning asking anyone who may have been bitten or had contact with the raccoon’s saliva to seek medical care. Authorities euthanized the animal, which tested negative for rabies.