Neighbors in Southwest Philadelphia call for action as raccoon problems persist

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Residents in Southwest Philadelphia say raccoon infestations have plagued their block for years, and they are urging the city to address what they describe as unsafe and deteriorating properties that attract the animals.

Steffond Douglas, who lives on the 7300 block of Dicks Avenue, said he recently heard a neighbor yelling for help.

“I hear one of my neighbors, they’re yelling and screaming, and I hear her say, ‘raccoons,'” Douglas recalled.

Douglas has lived on the block for more than a year, but his neighbors, including Latrice Brooks, say the problem goes back much further.

“Nobody is listening to us; it’s always an issue. They literally are tearing up our properties,” Brooks said.

Douglas said he hired a wildlife specialist, who pointed out a large opening in a nearby house that he had never noticed before.

According to the city’s Department of Licenses and Inspections website, that property has been deemed unsafe and a danger or hazard to “health safety and welfare.”

The department warned that if violations were not corrected before August 14, it would move “as soon as reasonably possible” to vacate or demolish the home.

Brooks said the ongoing situation has taken a toll. “I don’t want anybody to lose their home, but I want to have peace of mind. I don’t get any sleep,” she said.

Sarah Barnett, executive director of ACCT Philly, said calls about raccoons are common, especially involving homes residents believe are sealed but still have small openings.

“We get lots of calls, and especially in homes that people think have been sealed up, and maybe they missed one spot because those homes, of course the warmest,” Barnett said.

Barnett noted that ACCT Philly responds only when a raccoon is sick, injured, or inside a living space. Otherwise, she said, residents should report concerns through 311.

Brooks said neighbors are determined to see action taken.

“Me and my neighbors, we’re not going for this, we’re tired of it,” she said.

A spokesperson for Council President Kenyatta Johnson, who represents the area, said the office contacted Licenses and Inspections directly about the issue. Licenses and Inspections says they are looking into an update on the property.

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