Dear PoPville – My Morning with the Opossum of Shaw

“Dear PoPville,

I’ve had a strange morning over here in Shaw. I went out for my run and the neighbor next door told me he saw some “big raccoon” try to get into my front door and then it felt down into a window well where the basement windows are (I have no idea what that’s called). Thinking it couldn’t get out from there (it was a four foot climb – stupid me, I forgot opossums are pretty tactile little things), I called animal control. Well, within 20 minutes this thing is back on the street. My neighbor managed to lasso this thing with a little bit of clothesline. I called animal control back and they told me I should just let it go. I told them we weren’t really near Rock Creek Park or anywhere where a opossum should actually be, but she told me that raccoons and opossum have learned to adapt to an urban environment and I should let it go and that’s what they would do if they came there.

So my neighbor walked this thing down a nearby alley and let it go near an abandoned lot with some grass. What does PoPville think? Should animal control have taken this thing and set it free in a more appropriate environment? Or were my neighbors and I foolish to interfere with this majestic creature’s Monday to begin with? It mostly just amazed me that animal control said to let it go and offered no more advice than that. I’m also sorry in advance for whoever walks down that alley next and loses their shit when this thing scampers around.”