RAC' ATTACK

Woman, 69, Hospitalized After ‘Monstrous’ Raccoon Attack

A rare urban wildlife attack has Bostonians spooked.

It was around 1 a.m. on a cool Saturday morning in Somerville, Massachusetts, when Katharine VanBuskirk, 69, was viciously attacked by a raccoon on her porch. VanBuskirk was letting out her pet spaniels, Blue and Rubi, when out leapt what she called a “giant ball of viciousness.” VanBuskirk was bitten and scratched on the arms, legs, and face, she told The Boston Globe. “It attacked relentlessly, from every angle, it was terrifying,” she said. What’s worse, the 69-year-old was only able to defend herself with one arm as she had undergone shoulder surgery just five days earlier and still had one arm in a sling. With blood running into her eyes, VanBuskirk screamed for help as the trash panda attacked her. She flung the enraged animal across her porch, but it kept coming back for more. Her useless dogs did nothing. VanBuskirk eventually managed to close the door on the creature and call 911. She is recovering after receiving rabies shots and antibiotics. Miraculously, VanBuskirk still has a generous disposition toward urban wildlife. “I just want other people to be careful, I’m gonna never blame the raccoon,” she told NBC Boston.