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Jimothy the raccoon has a rare spinal condition. Here's what that means

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Re: Jimothy the raccoon has a rare spinal condition. Here's what that means

#41
post #2

According to a local Instagram posting he has difficulty traversing fence rails. When he was young, a year ago, a neighbor saw his family helping him as he fumbled. And so this neighbor says they cut open a hole in their fence at ground level for him. https://www.instagram.com/p/Da5pCzqjhx1/ https://www.instagram.com/reel/Da9V4-FOjc_/ So some are appearing to enable this one critter. Also locally - Seattle - local ag…

Well it also opens passageways for other ground-dwelling animals as well, which is a good thing. I believe in the UK and other places where hedgehogs are native it’s somewhat common for people to cut small holes in their fences so they can get around.

So it’s not really a bad thing, IMO.

Re: Jimothy the raccoon has a rare spinal condition. Here's what that means

#42
post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ballard: it's one of the only north Seattle neighborhoods vaguely affordable to buy in. Lots of young families. Try to ignore the meth heads camping next to the Burke Gilman and industrial areas. (I live in Ballard.)

>it's one of the only north Seattle neighborhoods vaguely affordable to buy in Most north Seattle neighborhoods north of Ballard are more affordable to buy in than Ballard. Exceptions being North Beach / Blue Ridge, Windermere, Laurelhurst and similar.

> Laurelhurst

I can’t tell if this is a ‘whoosh’ over my head or what, but saying Laurelhurst is more affordable than just about anywhere besides Medina is wild. They literally had enough sway to have the hospital reroute their flights (it was actually a children’s hospital and they got enough flack about it only this year did they relent [0]).

[0] https://www.kuow.org/health-care/2026-05-08/seattle-children...

Re: Jimothy the raccoon has a rare spinal condition. Here's what that means

#43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>it's one of the only north Seattle neighborhoods vaguely affordable to buy in Most north Seattle neighborhoods north of Ballard are more affordable to buy in than Ballard. Exceptions being North Beach / Blue Ridge, Windermere, Laurelhurst and similar.

> Laurelhurst I can’t tell if this is a ‘whoosh’ over my head or what, but saying Laurelhurst is more affordable than just about anywhere besides Medina is wild. They literally had enough sway to have the hospital reroute their flights (it was actually a children’s hospital and they got enough flack about it only this year did they relent [0]). [0] https://www.kuow.org/health-care/2026-05-08/seattle-children...

GP is listing it under exceptions to affordability.

Re: Jimothy the raccoon has a rare spinal condition. Here's what that means

#44

It’s absolutely wild how Jimothy has taken over the internet. This is easily the most media attention anyone/anything from Ballard has ever gotten. Also; Free Ballard! End the century of Seattle tyranny! https://www.seattle.gov/city-archives/exhibits-and-education... (JK, mostly)

More attention (cumulatively) than the Troll?

Re: Jimothy the raccoon has a rare spinal condition. Here's what that means

#45

> You’d have to be living under a dumpster not to have heard of Jimothy, Seattle’s favorite raccoon and the internet’s newest folk hero. Or anywhere outside of Seattle, I suppose.

It's definitely a worldwide phenomenon at this point. Memes know no borders

Re: Jimothy the raccoon has a rare spinal condition. Here's what that means

#46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>it's one of the only north Seattle neighborhoods vaguely affordable to buy in Most north Seattle neighborhoods north of Ballard are more affordable to buy in than Ballard. Exceptions being North Beach / Blue Ridge, Windermere, Laurelhurst and similar.

> Laurelhurst I can’t tell if this is a ‘whoosh’ over my head or what, but saying Laurelhurst is more affordable than just about anywhere besides Medina is wild. They literally had enough sway to have the hospital reroute their flights (it was actually a children’s hospital and they got enough flack about it only this year did they relent [0]). [0] https://www.kuow.org/health-care/2026-05-08/seattle-children...

Attempt to re-read what I wrote.

Re: Jimothy the raccoon has a rare spinal condition. Here's what that means

#47
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you complaining about people helping a raccoon? The Internet hype is a bit much but why are you framing it like this raccoon should have died years ago.

What planet are you living on? Homeowners are generally legally liable for anything that occurs on their property, especially if it can affect neighbouring properties to any provable extent. There are carveouts and exemptions, but that isn’t a magical deflector shield. So it doesn’t take a huge imagination to see how it could have negative externalities.

You are allowed to not have a fence at all if you so choose, assuming an HOA isn’t telling you otherwise. Property owners have no liability for wild animals transiting their property. If you are keeping pets and they get out I would assume the homeowner has some liability, but a wild raccoon is not any homeowner’s responsibility.

Re: Jimothy the raccoon has a rare spinal condition. Here's what that means

#48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or you can just toss some food out and call it a day This ideology that all stray animals need to be siphoned up and neutered on the spot is bizarre to me. Sure there is a balance to be struck as you can't have a hundred thousand cats in a small area, but this idea that stray cats and dogs are simply not allowed to exist and reproduce naturally is insane.

Have you ever lived in a place where there aren’t effective control efforts? These programs aren’t about people feeling good about themselves. The middle ground you suggest IS neutering and spaying all the animals you can find. The more extreme end of control is culls. It isn’t something you can ignore without pretty serious second order effects. It ends up being pretty grim for the animals and sometimes humans too w…

I live in New Zealand, where they are big efforts to cull non-native wildlife, including all mammalian predators. There are traplines through the woods here, and I remember seeing a Department of Conservation visitor centre with a diorama of stray cats being killed by a kill trap.

Locally we've got an overpopulation of goats, and apparently they're going to start shooting them from helicopters.

They also drop a poison bait called 1080 that kills mammals from helicopters in remote regions here.

Re: Jimothy the raccoon has a rare spinal condition. Here's what that means

#49
Don't want to rain on the parade of something people like but this kind of title tells me nothing and I detest it. It tells me the thing is going to die like any other animal and that's the circle of life yet it wants to create engagement. Please stop publishing like this.

Tell me why the spinal condition is important. Tell me why I need to read this article because of [magic?]. Now I know nothing and don't like it.

Re: Jimothy the raccoon has a rare spinal condition. Here's what that means

#50
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you complaining about people helping a raccoon? The Internet hype is a bit much but why are you framing it like this raccoon should have died years ago.

What planet are you living on? Homeowners are generally legally liable for anything that occurs on their property, especially if it can affect neighbouring properties to any provable extent. There are carveouts and exemptions, but that isn’t a magical deflector shield. So it doesn’t take a huge imagination to see how it could have negative externalities.

really soulless comment, nice job
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