When people first saw him, they wondered if some odd new species had wandered into Seattle.
He looked like a raccoon, but his hindquarters were… not right. It didn’t take long for online sleuths to determine that he is, in fact, a raccoon, but he suffers from a condition known as Short Spine Syndrome (SSS).
That hasn’t stopped him from becoming a social media star, though, and living his best life:
A unique raccoon was spotted in Seattle
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) July 17, 2026
A raccoon named Jimothy with a rare short spine syndrome was roaming the streets, stealing food from trash cans and frightening locals with his unusual appearance.
At first, residents were startled by the strange-looking animal, but he… pic.twitter.com/KGkc62venv
A raccoon named Jimothy with a rare short spine syndrome was roaming the streets, stealing food from trash cans and frightening locals with his unusual appearance.
At first, residents were startled by the strange-looking animal, but he later became a local celebrity, with people even making memes and drawings of him.
He’s become a regular, beloved visitor to backyards in the area:
Jimothy is living his best life! New video shows the beloved short-spined raccoon wandering through a Seattle backyard, snacking on grass and stopping for a drink during one of his regular visits. pic.twitter.com/h3vDMepc8y
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) July 31, 2026
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Although many people wondered whether he would face tough odds for surviving because he’d be more vulnerable to predators than unafflicted raccoons, new videos are emerging that suggest he may have actually already been around for a while.
Jimothy as a baby in my friend’s backyard pic.twitter.com/zfm7JoKiki
— sitka ($jimothy maxxing) (@sitkapetrodolla) July 17, 2026
The sensation all started in mid-July, when 33-year-old Seattle resident Kiana Hall spotted him and decided he needed a name. One came to her mind almost instantly:
"What am I looking at?" Hall says in the footage she posted on Instagram. In the caption, she dubbed the creature Jimothy.
"He just looked like a Jimothy to me," she later wrote in the comments.
[…]
Jimothy became an overnight sensation, with Hall's video racking up millions of views and prompting a wave of other reported sightings by area residents.
Even the White House got in on the sensation:
Jimothy spotted on the way to Washington D.C.‼️ pic.twitter.com/LSs4YFl2dq
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 23, 2026
Now, new footage posted online shows what many people are theorizing is Jimothy’s father. He seems to be a guy who likes to have a good time:
A short-spined raccoon, believed to be internet sensation Jimothy’s father, was seen rolling around a yard in Seattle, Washington, in August last year.
— ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) August 1, 2026
Anna Miller shared this video of the raccoon making himself comfortable at her aunt’s Ballard home, with the animal even… pic.twitter.com/p7IUvQEouP
Meanwhile, Jimothy has become the unofficial mascot of the Emerald City, with even local officials hailing the plucky little guy.
Earlier this week, city council members issued an official proclamation honoring the viral raccoon.
"The summer of 2026 is officially Jimothy Summer," Seattle Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck declared at an event featuring a contest for local artists who created pieces dedicated to the creature.
Is there a hero to this tale? According to some, it’s his mom and her fierce protection of him when he was younger:
the untold hero in Jimothy’s story is his mother
— Jack Duval🌊 (@jackduval) July 21, 2026
look at how protective she is over baby Jimothy in this newly found footage❤️
without her Jimothy would have had zero chance of surviving and thriving the way he is today pic.twitter.com/7rKBBXnfLc
Keep on keepin’ on, Jimothy, and enjoy your summer.
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