Racoon Refugee

On Saturday afternoon I was in the shop working on some paddles and a raccoon came to the open doorway. He was a youngish raccoon, about a year old and h e looked a bit beaten-up. I suggested that he try the wildlife sanctuary next-door. He turned back to the sweltering heat outside then decided that the cool of the shop was more attractive. He snuffled around a bit, looking kind of shaky, then curled-up and fell asleep under my workbench. I had a look at him, he had serious cuts on his arms and had looked confused and shaky. I know that feeling. I used to get in fights when I was young. Not play-fights. Real fights. When they are over you shake uncontrollably, you feel sick to your stomach, your in shock. So I let the little fellow rest. When I'd finished my work I got him some Fries and Gravy and a bowl of water and left him in the cool dark to rest.
I called the Toronto Humane Society since the Durham Humane Society is Long-Distance from Pickering. They kindly referred me to the Toronto Wildlife Center. I left the particulars with them and they called me back first thing Sunday morning to arrange to pick-up the wounded raccoon for treatment.
The raccoon, who I've named Axle after my father (who was a legendary fighter) had spent the night in a kayak and was feeling somewhat revived on Sunday. He drank allot of water and washed his wounded arm. While I worked on another paddle he wandered around the shop. By the time the Toronto Wildlife people arrived he had fallen asleep again. The Wildlife experts put him gently in a cage. They said that they would sedate him and examine him for further injuries, give him antibiotics and dress his wounds.
I hope he recovers quickly and I hope he returns to this neighbourhood. Not everybody knows how to deal with raccoons but I've grown up around here and I know that if you make allowances for them they are fun to have around.
Good luck Axle!