Manatee County Sheriff's Office saves masked resident

Late Monday night, two Manatee County Sheriff's Office deputies on patrol came to the rescue of a very distressed resident. 

It was a young raccoon with its head stuck in a tin can. 

At 2 a.m., patrol is a little slower and deputies can be more proactive, said spokesman Dave Bristow. Deputies Brandon Rowe and Patrick Hagan stopped when they noticed the raccoon wander into the street at the 3200 block of 47th Avenue East. One of the deputies pulled the can off the raccoon's head. It appeared to be otherwise healthy and alert, so they released the animal. 

"The raccoon's doing well—we haven't heard back from him," Bristow said. 

Bristow said the two deputies took proper precautions and wore gloves in case the animal got aggressive. They'd already responded to several calls that night, he said, but not one quite like this.

"You see a lot of raccoons, but not too many with Chef Boyardee cans attached to their nose," he said.