{"id":827664,"date":"2026-07-26T18:37:37","date_gmt":"2026-07-26T18:37:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/827664\/"},"modified":"2026-07-26T18:37:37","modified_gmt":"2026-07-26T18:37:37","slug":"jimothy-the-raccoon-receives-honor-from-washington-governor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/827664\/","title":{"rendered":"Jimothy The Raccoon Receives Honor From Washington Governor"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jimothy, the viral raccoon from Seattle, has been bestowed a high honor \u2014 as he should be. <\/p>\n

The unique-looking king was announced as \u201cWashingtonian of the Day\u201d by Washington Governor Bob Ferguson on July 23. Jimothy, who wildlife experts say likely has a congenital spine condition, <\/a>had gone viral after a July 14 video captured him roaming the streets. <\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s really captured the hearts of people across our state, really across the country and even the world,\u201d Ferguson said of Jimothy in a video shared on social media. \u201cHe\u2019s been honored in so many ways. … There\u2019s really only one more honor I think we can bestow upon Jimothy. And that is for me to make him the Washingtonian Of The Day.\u201d <\/p>\n

The award, an informal accolade, is typically given to a Washington resident who is considered inspiring to others, according to local NBC affiliate King 5. <\/a><\/p>\n

Past award winners include Trudi Inslee,<\/a> the former First Spouse of Washington state and wife of former Governor Jay Inslee, in 2024. <\/p>\n

Ferguson said in his video that Jimothy has become a symbol of strength to so many. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think one of the reasons why he\u2019s captured so much attention is he shows a certain resilience in getting by and even thriving, given that deformity,\u201d Ferguson said. <\/p>\n

The governor also mentioned that he is trying to get the special Washingtonian of the Day pin to the raccoon. But urged residents to \u201ckeep a respectful distance.\u201d <\/p>\n

Since the video of Jimothy hit the internet, the trash panda has exploded in popularity. The clip, which was shared on July 14, has already racked up more than 8.3 million views as of July 25. <\/p>\n

Sports teams, businesses and more have adopted the critter as their unofficial mascots. The Seattle Mariners, for example, have begun to wear Jimothy-themed clothing<\/a> during batting practice. <\/p>\n

Individuals have also gotten Jimothy tattoos, painted Jimothy murals and created Jimothy-inspired fan art. <\/a><\/p>\n

On July 26, Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck <\/a>is slated to celebrate the \u201cmajestic\u201d raccoon with an official proclamation. <\/p>\n

Kiana Hall, the 33-year-old marketing specialist who was the one to capture the little guy on camera, previously told TODAY.com that the sighted the critter while out on a walk with her husband. She initially thought that Jimothy, who was rustling around under a car, was a cat. But, she was mistaken. <\/p>\n

\u201cI was pretty surprised and confused because the body shape didn\u2019t look like anything I was familiar with,\u201d Hall told TODAY.com. \u201cHe turned around and I saw that masked pattern on the front of his face, and that\u2019s when I realized he was a raccoon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hall, who\u2019s also responsible for giving the raccoon his noble name, said that the moniker truly just came to her. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe just looked like a \u2018Jimothy\u2019 to me,\u201d Hall says, laughing. \u201cI don\u2019t have any other explanation other than I looked at him and he looked like a \u2018Jimothy.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n