Walking a dog on a dog-friendly beach can be a fun and meaningful way to spend a few hours, but several heads were turned on September 21 when a man was spotted on a Tampa, Florida, beach walking his dog alongside a more unusual pet. It was a raccoon on a leash!
Although he continued as if it were the most normal thing in the world, bystander Nina George was so stunned that she couldn’t help but take a video on her phone. Now, the sneaky raccoon is going viral for all the right reasons: excellent leash manners, confidence on the beach, and love for their human dad. Still, some people are suspicious about whether this is even allowed at all.
This video only gets funnier the more I watch it! The man with the pet raccoon is as nonchalant as can be, and no one on the beach even notices that a wild animal (well, that may be up for debate) is walking mere feet behind them. Meanwhile, Nina must have eagle eyes, because she spotted the unusual pet from the beachside restaurant!
“This is not news in Florida,” @reallynotakaren commented on @abcnews‘ September 30 video. This is just Wednesday. Move along! Nothing to see here.”
A surprising number of commenters felt the same way, leading me to believe there are more pet raccoons in Florida than I would expect. Certainly, the number of ‘Florida Man’ headlines in the news should’ve been my first hint!
Despite the novelty of the scene, dozens of viewers expressed the same question: Is having a raccoon as a pet even legal?
Is It Legal To Have a Pet Raccoon?
Cats, dogs, and other common domesticated pets are legal for anyone to own, but it’s not so straightforward to keep wildlife as a pet. Every state has its own laws and permits, however, so it’s essential to research the legality of unusual pets in your area.
In Florida, a permit is required to keep a wild animal as a personal pet, but that permit only covers keeping the animal at home, at the vet, and during transport. To bring the animal in public, a different permit from Florida Fish and Wildlife is required.
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And what about leash laws? In Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa, leash laws extend to pets of any species, including raccoons.
In that case, it’s nice to see that this man was being a responsible pet parent, even with an exotic pet. We could all take a few notes from him!
This story was originally published by PetHelpful on Oct 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add PetHelpful as a Preferred Source by clicking here.