A stout, round raccoon with short spine syndrome walking on a sidewalk.
Marketing specialist Kiana Hall was walking through Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood in July when she spotted an unusual creature hiding beneath a parked car. Assuming it was a stray cat, the 33-year-old pulled out her phone to take a closer look.
Instead, out scurried a wildly disproportionate, stout raccoon. In a video that quickly went viral, Hall is heard shouting in sheer confusion as the animal runs across the sidewalk.
She instantly dubbed the animal “Jimothy” in her Instagram caption. Hall described the bizarrely shaped critter as “just a silly and round little guy.”
A Rare Spinal Condition
Jimothy’s strange, compressed appearance is not a camera trick. The raccoon likely has short spine syndrome, an extremely rare congenital deformity.
Dr. Marcie Logsdon, a veterinarian at Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, noted that the condition stunts the spinal column. “Everything is kind of cramped up next to itself instead of being long and spread out like it should be,” she explained.
This spinal compression makes Jimothy’s legs appear disproportionately long for his round body. While physical exams are impossible without capture—meaning Jimothy’s sex remains a mystery—Dr. Logsdon said the animal is moving well and thriving despite the odds.
Tattoos, Murals, and Chupacabras
Long before his internet fame, locals knew of Jimothy. Dmitriy Ishimskiy, 36, recently shared backyard footage from over a year ago showing a young Jimothy climbing a fence with his family.
Six months ago, Ballard Clay pottery studio owner Rebecca Sorensen nearly hit the raccoon in an alleyway. The 45-year-old was so startled she asked neighbors to check their security cameras, joking she had spotted a blood-sucking chupacabra.
To honor the neighborhood legend, Sorensen commissioned local artist Andrew Miller to paint a mural of Jimothy. Naturally, Miller painted it right behind the studio’s garbage cans.
A fresh tattoo depicting a round raccoon
A colorful painted mural of a stout raccoon positioned behind a trash can
Fans are already flocking to the artwork. Jessica Hinnenkamp, a 38-year-old Navy member visiting from Virginia, made a special trip to see the mural. She and her husband are self-proclaimed “trash panda” fanatics who share matching raccoon tattoos.
Seattle tattoo artist Laura Exley, 47, is capitalizing on the craze. After posting Jimothy-inspired designs on Instagram, she quickly booked over a dozen appointments for raccoon ink.
Taking Over Seattle and Beyond
Jimothy’s reach now extends well beyond the Ballard neighborhood. The Seattle Mariners temporarily changed their social media profile picture to Jimothy wearing a team hat and hosted a raccoon mascot race.
Major brands and agencies quickly joined the frenzy. Budweiser posted a photo of Jimothy during the World Cup final. NASA’s official X account shared an International Space Station image of Seattle with the caption, “Jimothy runs this city.”
Local government is also paying tribute. Seattle City Council member Alexis Mercedes Rinck announced plans to issue a proclamation celebrating “Jimothy Summer.” She compared the raccoon’s cultural impact to New York City’s famous Pizza Rat.
“I think he’s an example to all of us that you don’t have to be perfect to be loved,” Rinck said.
Leave the Wildlife Alone
Despite the fanfare, experts are urging the public to keep their distance.
Dr. Logsdon explicitly warned well-meaning fans against feeding or attempting to help the animal. Human intervention, she noted, would likely do far more harm than good.
“His best life is going to be just out in the wild, essentially being left alone,” she stated.
For Ballard locals like Sorensen, simply knowing Jimothy is out there surviving is enough. She sees the resilient creature as a living metaphor for pushing forward when things aren’t quite right.
