Masked Bandit, A Rascally Raccoon, Rescued In Doggie Door Near Disaster At Holtsville Home

HOLTSVILLE, NY — A rascally raccoon, seeking some warmth and quick and easy grub, was freed from inside a doggie door tunnel at a Holtsville home earlier this week by local animal rescuers.

The little critter's foot became stuck in a groove between the door and the siding of the house, and it needed to be wrangled to safety last Sunday morning.

Strong Island Animal Rescue League was called around noon.

Despite the fact that raccoons are ridiculously cute, they can also be a little nasty when confronted, and this one did not disappoint.

It can be seen in video growling, as animal rescuer Frankie Floridia greets him, "Hey buddy."

Clearly annoyed, the masked bandit responds, by baring down on its haunches, its tiny hands spread out in the tunnel.

"Grr," it can be heard in the background of the video.

To access the tunnel, Floridia had to pry off the framing from the doggie door.

"I had to bend, it wide open, and then lift his leg up," he told Patch.He then reached in with a catch pole to capture the animal around the waist, as not to cause any harm.

Once outside the tunnel, the raccoon scampered away with Floridia telling it, "You're evicted."

The homeowner said, "Frank is out here doing God's work."She goes on to credit him for the save, and notes she was about to leave because of the "huge" animal.

"He wrestled with this thing; It was not an easy feat to get this sucker out. He was not trying to leave, but Frank got him out," she said.

"God bless him," she added.

The woman also had a small dog that was scared of the animal, according to Floridia.

He said the raccoon, which was likely a female, "probably smelled dog food, and wanted to go inside the house to get warm."

He believes it was the first time that the animal snuck inside the tunnel.

He urged homeowners in similar situations to deal with animals humanely rather than call an exterminator.

Rescuers like Floridia and his group do not charge, but do accept donations.

"Always make the right phone calls to somebody who will be humane and get the animal out," he said. "It's not looking to harm anybody."

“If you call the right person, it could be back on its way and no danger or harm to anybody,” he said.

Floridia reiterated the group’s policy to a woman he helped with a rabbit stuck in its grill.

“She goes, ‘How much is this gonna cost me?’” he recalled.

It was an ‘Oh, geez,’ moment for him.

“I said, ‘I'm the most expensive around,” Florida explained, adding, “‘Give me a hug, and I'll be happy.”

The woman couldn’t believe it, but Floridia explained how his rescues are out of the goodness of his heart.

“If you want to make a donation to the rescue, that's up to you, but I'm coming for free,” he said.