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Most of the raccoons she takes in are newborns whose mothers fled their nests without them or were killed. In either case, it’s often a result of human intervention. Hesseln raises the cubs over the summer months, weaning them off powdered milk, introducing them to solid food and eventually transporting them to a facility outside the city where they’ll spend the winter slowly transforming from house pets back to wild animals.

“They have fenced areas; they have high trees and it’s somewhat natural. They can catch birds and mice and whatever they eat, but they get food and water. They become nocturnal, and in the spring they get into their nest box one day, we close the door and take them to the wild,” Hesseln said.

“It’s a hard release, but at the same time they’ve got a lot of weight on them, they’ve got all summer to figure things out and they’re in a family group. We hope they do well.”

This summer, Hesseln’s home has been swarmed by a personal record of 27 raccoons. With number 28 on the way, the increase has left the winter habitat with insufficient space. To help, Hesseln is fundraising to build a larger pen to house them all.

Through Bandit Ranch Rehab, the non-profit Hesseln runs out of her home, she’s launched a Go-FundMe campaign online and is hosting a charity dog wash this weekend to raise $6,000 for the new pen.

Proceeds will help pay for building materials for the winter pen and to account for costs she’s incurred caring for the cubs that have passed through her backyard this year, including spending money on food, vaccinations and general items such as bowls and climbing structures.

Hesseln has received some backlash from people who question why she shelters raccoons when human beings go homeless on the street, but she remains steadfast in her belief that animals need help, too.

“How many organizations help wildlife? Even if you don’t like the animals or you’re not interested in wildlife, everything works in the ecosystem and everything has a place. Who speaks for them?”