Born
October 12, 2020
Rescued
October 12, 2022
Died
December 19, 2025
Garcia’s Story
Garcia was rescued from a closing roadside zoo in Maryland. Following years of animal welfare violations, a legal settlement with this roadside zoo (Tri-State Zoological Park) was reached, and 65 animals found safe, appropriate forever homes at reputable zoos and sanctuaries around the country. This five-day rescue, led by PETA, opened the door for us to continue our mission of rescuing wild cats and other carnivores in need while working with larger, nationwide organizations that have greater reach.
Garcia’s favorite thing in the world was food. He was known for his large size and his keepers gained his trust with treats of nuts. He also enjoyed shrimp and birds. Garcia is very inquisitive and liked to climb. Like all raccoons, he dunked things in water, so he was frequently near his pool. He would go into a torpor in the winters and spend most of his time inside of his heated den box, but his silly personality shone in the summer.
Garcia’s Passing
January 10, 2026
Garcia Raccoon was a fan favorite of both staff and volunteers at the sanctuary, so his unexpected loss was heavily felt. This past fall, as temperatures started to cool down, we noticed that Garcia was not eating as much as normal. This was not alarming initially, as raccoons go through torpor, a state similar to hibernation where they eat less and their metabolisms slow down. We did, however, continue to monitor his food intake, feces, and behavior. On December 19, we noticed a big change. He seemed to be pretty uncomfortable and unlike himself, so we decided it was time to get him sedated and see what was going on. Unfortunately, we did not find good news. Garcia had a mass that encompassed his entire liver and caused fluid buildup around his heart. We made the kindest choice we could and humanely euthanized him.
Garcia first came to the sanctuary in October 2022. He came from a roadside zoo that closed after years of animal welfare violations. PETA headed up the rescue to make sure all the animals made their way to appropriate forever homes.
When Garcia came to sanctuary life, he left quite an impression as a thirty-pound raccoon. This weight was not ideal. Raccoons are opportunistic omnivores, meaning they will eat almost anything they can get. Unfortunately, his last facility was feeding him an inappropriate diet that included foods like gas station hotdogs and Doritos. We switched him over to a healthy, species-appropriate diet and discovered his trust could be bought with nuts. His favorite way to eat them was lounging on his back while blindly feeling around for the food resting on his stomach. Garcia was also a big fan of birds, and he did not mess around when he was lucky enough to receive one. He would growl and remind us that raccoons are certainly wild animals.
We will miss Garcia’s curious nature and the way he would test everything out using just his hands, no other senses required. Sometimes just his hands would peek out from his den box to reach for food. Other times, things were immediately dunked into his pool for exploration. Whether you fell in love with this silly personality out at the sanctuary or through social media, this is a difficult loss. We are thankful for the time we had with him and the team that gave him the best care in his time with us.
With a heavy heart,
Kathryn Bertok
Assistant Director