Raccoon Family burned alive in Texas!

For more information go to: http://rainbowwildlife.blogspot.com/2009/07/raccoon-family-burned-alive-in-texas.html Animal cruelty is animal cruelty whether it is a wild animal or a domestic one. They ALL feel pain and suffering. Today The Raccoon Cabin received a 10 week old baby raccoon with burns on all four feet, melted whiskers, and burns on his nose and rear. Mr. Clayton from Masters Service, a local pest control company, brought him in. He stated that, "another pest control company he believed to be called Critter Ridder was hired by a family to remove a mother and babies from their chimney". After harassing the animal family for an hour or so they still could not get the raccoon family out, so they decided to block the chimney and then lit a fire in the fire place to burn them alive!!! The family claimed they did not know this horror was being done until it was too late. The mother and her babies were burned to death and left in the chimney. After the company left the family discovered one was still alive and certainly injured so they called Master Services and asked if they could please remove the injured baby. Mr. Clayton said he removed the dead mother and other babies himself, caught this one and brought it to me, as I am a licensed local wildlife rehabilitator. I have worked with Mr. Clayton before and believe he is telling the truth that it was another company that torched and burned alive this mama and babies. I asked him for the name and address where this happened. He called his boss and was informed not to give me the information. They said they would call and ask the resident if they could release that information. As of Sunday, June 26th, I have not heard back from anyone. This is an outrage and nothing more than animal cruelty! Pest control or not they need to be prosecuted for this horrid act. They are required to be trained to handle these situations better and could have. This is not the first time I have seen horrid acts like this from our local pest control companies, in fact that is how I became a rehabber. My husband saved 3 little raccoons when a pest control company was drowning them in a bucket of water and I could not find a rehabber to take them to as there are too few and those that do were all full. These inhumane acts are taking place everyday and MUST be stopped!! Our little "Charcoal" is doing a somewhat better now, but infections can set in easily with burns, as well as lung problems due to smoke inhalation, so it is going to be a long recovery for him and require several trips back and forth to the vets office. He is currently on antibiotics and burn creams, we are praying this will be enough to get him through. Charcoal is also traumatized emotionally; he will never be the same. It will most likely be a difficult rehabbing situation from beginning to end. I must ask "who is the varmint in this case"? Little Charcoal only wanted a warm, dry place to sleep and in short time the mama would have moved the