Dog owner is worried people may treat his missing pet as a wild animal because it looks like a RACCOON

  • Rare 'raccoon dog' is missing after it bounded away from its owner
  • Michael McKenna is concerned his pet will be mistaken for a wild animal
  • He said Kekei ran away during a walk in Stanley Park, Blackpool

If you see a 'wild raccoon' wandering the streets in Blackpool do not be alarmed - for all may not be as it seems.

The grey and white-flecked creature could well be a rare 'raccoon dog', worth a staggering £1,000, that went missing last week.

Owner Michael McKenna, 51, is concerned that Kekei - who is 14-weeks-old - could be treated as a wild animal by the public because of her resemblance to a raccoon.

A rare 'raccoon dog' called Kekei (pictured) ran away from its owner during a walk in Blackpool last week

A rare 'raccoon dog' called Kekei (pictured) ran away from its owner during a walk in Blackpool last week

The bricklayer, who lost Kekei in Stanley Park, Blackpool, last Thursday, said: 'If people see her they wouldn't think she was a dog.

'They'd think she was a wild animal. They'd probably think she was a wild raccoon or a fox.

'I've been out looking for her day and night.'

He voiced his fears that the dog would not know how to hunt for food because it has been hand-reared.

Michael, 51, is concerned that Kekei - who is just 14-weeks-old - could be treated as a wild animal by the public because of her striking resemblance to her namesake

Michael, 51, is concerned that Kekei - who is just 14-weeks-old - could be treated as a wild animal by the public because of her striking resemblance to her namesake

Owner Michael McKenna (left) voiced his concern that the dog would not know how to hunt for food because it has been hand-reared

'Raccoon dogs are hunting dogs - in the wild they'll hunt for food - but Kekei has been hand-reared since she was born,' he said.

WHAT IS A RACCOON DOG?

Raccoon dogs are more closely related to foxes and wolves than the common raccoon.

They are indigenous to East Asia, but have now been introduced to central and western Europe.

The animal earned its name thanks to its superficial resemblance to the raccoon, to which it is not closely related.

They are known for their gentle nature and do not bark or wag their tails like their more popular canine relatives. 

Their skulls greatly resemble those of South American foxes. 

Like foxes, they do not bark, uttering instead a growl, followed by a long-drawn melancholy whine. 

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'She's never wanted for food. She will have no clue what to do.'

Michael described Kekei as 'very timid' - in stark contrast to raccoons who are commonly associated with rooting through dustbins outside American homes.

'She's not used to other people and she's very timid,' he said.

'She'll probably be hiding somewhere until it's dark, and then she'll come out. 

Despite their namesake, raccoon dogs are more closely related to foxes and wolves than the common raccoon.

Domestic raccoon dogs are quite common throughout Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

They are known for their gentle nature and do not bark or wag their tails like their more popular canine relatives. 

Michael has asked anybody who sees Kekei to contact him immediately and is worried for his pet's safety.

He said: 'I keep thinking about her hiding somewhere confused and crying.' 

The dog bounded away from her owner at Stanley Park in Blackpool, Lancashire

The dog bounded away from her owner at Stanley Park in Blackpool, Lancashire

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