OK, So Raccoon Dogs Are a Real Thing?

By Gabrielle Sorto, CNN

There are a pair of raccoon dogs on the loose in an English village.

Residents in Nottinghamshire, England, are being warned by police to be vigilant of the animals that dug out of their enclosure on Tuesday. The raccoon dogs are “potentially dangerous if approached as they are not domesticated,” Nottinghamshire police said.
A resident was able to capture a photo of one of the animals at a nearby farm shortly after they escaped.
Raccoon dogs, also known as tanukis, are members of the canid family, which includes dogs and wolves. Although they look a lot like dogs, experts don’t recommend adopting raccoon dogs. The mammals are are found mostly in East Asia and Western and Northern Europe.
They aren’t raccoons either, but they have similar markings and curved claws that allow them to climb, according to the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
They weigh around 8 to 13 pounds and reach about 19 to 26 inches in length. They like to eat frogs, lizards, rodents, birds, seeds, fruits and sea creatures (if they live near the ocean).