Woman drowns rabid raccoon in puddle

HOPE, Maine: A Maine woman said a rabid raccoon attacked her while she was out for a run, so she drowned it in a puddle. Rachel Borch, of Hope, said she was running in woods near her home June 2 when she saw the raccoon charging with its teeth bared. She said she knew the animal was going to bite her, so she held out her hands so it would bite her there. The 21-year-old woman said she then noticed a puddle in a nearby swampy area. She ran over with the rabid animal still biting down on her thumb and held its head underwater until it drowned. Hope Animal Control Officer Heidi Blood praised Borch’s composure, and said she is in the hospital for rabies exposure treatment.

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