Some Local 237 members, whose jobs require them to live in one of the five boroughs, often dream of a little house in the country surrounded by a picket fence and free of the aggravation associated with urban life.

The Long Island Division's David Basilius, however, has a little news for them. That little dream cottage might not have the same problems as city folks encounter, but they may find some difficulties that are even worse!

Basilius, an Animal Control Officer for the Town of Islip for more than 14 years, cited his recent run-in with a vicious raccoon which had made a home for herself and her offspring in just such a dream house.

He and co-worker Steve Collumbell, another veteran Animal Control Officer, received a call at the Islip Animal Shelter from irate residents who complained that a "nasty raccoon " had bitten child in West Islip.

When they went to investigate, residents again advised them that the raccoon was very vicious and told them where the animal had come from.

A man who was doing repairs to his home said he had to stop working because the raccoon had made a home in his chimney, had babies in there and was "extremely nasty." He told Basilius, "It kept coming out after him."

Although not required to do so, the animal wranglers climbed up on the man's roof and placed a covering over the chimney stack to prevents the raccoon from getting out. Then they coaxed the animal to come up far enough for them to lasso it with a pole rope.

"It was so nasty, it was actually coming after us as we held the covering on to keep it from getting out," Basilius said. "We finally got a pole on it and got it out of there, but we had a heck of a time getting it off the roof because it was really, really nasty."

Basilius said he had never before seen a raccoon that was so vicious. "It was actually coming after you," he recalled.

Once they managed to get the masked intruder out of the chimney and off the roof into their truck, they then continued their chimney sweeps' job of emptying the stack of the raccoon's offspring.

It was all in a day's work for the animal wardens. But those yearning for a home in the country may have second thoughts about what they wish for.