West Bend, Wi — You could say Auto Safety Center North got a little more wild than usual this week. It started innocently enough: a customer rolled in from Kewaskum for a routine oil change. Nothing out of the ordinary—until he casually asked the service advisor if they did car detailing.
“We told him we didn’t do washes,” said store manager Craig Panzer. “He mentioned he had animal footprints all over the car and wanted it cleaned up.”
At first, no one thought twice about it. That is, until the technician popped the hood.
Across the shop, a loud yell echoed. Then the sound of a hood slamming. And then:
“Josh, get over here!”
Turns out, those weren’t just footprints on the hood. They were raccoon tracks—left by the actual raccoon currently hiding under the hood.
“He was wedged in the fender well, trying to play hide-and-seek,” Panzer said. “Definitely not factory-installed equipment.”
Josh, armed with welding gloves and good intentions, took a gentler approach.
“He kept saying, ‘Come here little guy,’ like he was trying to coax out a house cat,” Panzer said. “The raccoon responded with a hiss and growl. A little… less friendly.”
After a bit of careful maneuvering, some gentle persuasion, and more than a few grunts, the stowaway was freed and dashed across the field—leaving a trail of grease and laughter behind.
“He was a big guy,” said Panzer. “He’s definitely been hitting the Dumpsters hard. We’re talking maybe 15 pounds of pure raccoon rebellion.”
The customer? Surprisingly calm.
“He said, ‘Well, at least you got rid of my raccoon problem,’” Panzer said. “I told him, ‘That’s full service for you.’”
And yes, full service means cars and critters. Auto Safety Center has seen it all—chipmunks, squirrels, cats, and even one squirrel who decided to build a luxury condo out of leaves and twigs inside an engine bay.
“That nest took up three-quarters of the engine,” Panzer said. “No rent, no lease—just squatting in a four-cylinder.”
Despite the chaos, the team stayed cool under pressure (and under the hood). The raccoon was unharmed, and the car was fine.
Auto Safety Center North: your go-to for oil changes, tire rotations, and the occasional raccoon relocation.
As Panzer put it, “We’re a full-service shop. Whether it’s car trouble or critter trouble—we’ve got you covered.”
