Although bringing a cute animal into a bar for happy hour seems like a good idea, it’s not going to get you another discount on drinks. A woman was arrested after she was seen carrying a raccoon into a bar in North Dakota that eventually tested positive for rabies.
Bartender Cindy Smith was serving drinks at the Maddock Bar when a local resident brought in the animal for happy hour. Around 10 people were at the establishment at the time, in which Smith immediately asked the woman to leave.
Instead of listening to the bartender, the woman took the raccoon around the bar to show other patrons. After around five minutes, the woman left the bar with the animal. “We finally got her out with it and that’s all that happened. It never left her arms one time and there was absolutely no biting,” Smith said.
Erin Christensen was arrested and taken into custody pending formal charges of false information to LE, tampering with evidence, as well as North Dakota Game and Fish violations. “I had no idea what she was thinking,” Smith said.
The raccoon tested positive for rabies, as well as other diseases, leaving health officials to issue a warning to those who had contact with the animal about possible rabies exposure.
Rabies is a viral infection that is deadly to mammals, including humans. North Dakota’s Health and Human Services Department is asking anyone who may have been bitten or had contact with the raccoon’s saliva to seek medical care.
Over this year alone, six rabid animals have been reported in North Dakota, including two bats, two cats, one bovine and one skunk.