Update #2, 7/20: Yet another incredible chronicle of tiny Jimothy’s life, captured by Ballard resident Ben Trammell.
Trammell has been seeing Jimothy in his backyard for years; he says Jimothy was born in his next-door neighbor’s tree.
“We saw Jimothy (way better than moniker than what we came up with) almost daily for months. The family used our backyard as a protected on/off ramp for their nightly outings. He was so small and clumsy but his mother and siblings were always so patient and caring, keeping him from falling and sometimes just carrying him,” Trammell shared in an Instagram post.
Update 7/20: Two local muralists have been inspired by Jimothy.
Andrew Miller painted Jimothy outside of Ballard Clay over the weekend. Miller said that when the video surfaced on Thursday last week, Ballard Clay owner Rebecca Sorensen messaged him about adding Jimothy to the murals outside her shop.
“The small space around the garage cans seemed like a perfect canvas for a little Jimothy,” Miller said, adding that Sorenson said, “He’ll be like a little treasure hunt for the mural hunters in the hood.” Miller then painted Jimothy on Friday afternoon.
“I think it shows how our community can rally behind a common idea in the most positive way,” Miller told My Ballard. “I believe he represents a level of resiliency and is quickly becoming a bit of a mascot for our community as a whole. He’s a bit of an underdog that seems to bring a smile to people’s faces. This is my ode to Jimothy…Ballard Loves You…”
Local muralist Ryan Henry Ward has paid homage to Jimothy with his latest artwork. He ran a short online auction to sell the painting, vowing to donate 100% of the proceeds to support the Ballard Food Bank.
“Jimothy. the hero we needed. I’ve decided to give 100 percent of the money made from this painting to Ballard Food Bank, a place that helped me through some of my hardest times,” he said.
The painting sold for $6,543, which he gave the food bank on June 19.
Update 7/17: We’ve heard from some other Ballard residents who have seen Jimothy around their homes. A reader named Amanda told us she believes he was born in 2023—she and her family call him Nubby. “He’s very sweet and harmless,” she said. Here are pics from when Jimothy was a young raccoon:
And another reader, Alex, sent us the below picture, saying, “He froze when I saw him while walking my dog, and I had the impression that he thought if he didn’t move, I wouldn’t be able to see him. Then he climbed up this tree and kept watching me.”
Original: He’s tiny. He moves a little funny. And he might be the most famous raccoon in the world right now.
Meet Jimothy.
Kiana Hall spotted Jimothy when she was near the Ballard Goodwill on July 14. She captured a short video, and Jimothy quickly rocketed around the internet.
(Why Jimothy? Because Hall said he looked like a Jimothy, of course.)
Jimothy has what’s called a short-spine syndrome. It can also affect dogs, but is somewhat less common in raccoons.
Hall said she thought Jimothy was a cat when she first saw him.
As for Jimothy’s fame, she told My Ballard that she’s glad he’s made so many people happy. “I hope he stays safe wherever he is,” she said.
Another Jimothy sighting popped up on Reddit, where a porch camera caught him poking around.
Jimothy on our balcony
by u/tennisn00btc in Seattle
If you’ve seen Jimothy, let us know at tips@myballard.com.