Overview
- Hanover County officials say the raccoon entered the Ashland ABC store by falling through a ceiling panel during the Thanksgiving weekend closure.
- Employees found broken bottles and spilled liquor near lower shelves stocked with whisky before discovering the animal asleep on the bathroom floor.
- Officer Samantha Martin secured the raccoon, which was monitored for a few hours at the county shelter and then released with no injuries reported.
- The store estimated about 14 bottles damaged valued at roughly $250, and it reopened after cleanup.
- County photos and a tongue‑in‑cheek statement went viral, while officials urged businesses to better secure roofs and access points against wildlife; security video was too blurry to show exact consumption.