Will hot pepper spray hurt the koi or shubunkins?

[JAL]

Hi friends,
After having my zen pond with 12 fish for five years, I've just had the first loss-by-murder there. I'm sure it was a raccoon who attacked my most-friendly shubunkin. The fish are now traumatized. I don't think me trapping is an option; just learned the nearby community pool bathhouse is overrun with raccoons .... grrr.

So, I'd like to do something that is safe for my dogs (who drink from the pond so the fish aren't afraid of mammals sticking their head in ...) and the fish. I've just built up a rock wall around shallow edges I never viewed as killing fields before, and would like to spray the rocks with hot pepper spray or fox urine, or some other deterrent. I've tried to search the forum for warnings to dogs or fish about spray deterrents, but haven't found any. Apologies if there are threads on this and I've missed them.

Welcome any advice!

A heartbroken pond owner in western Pennsylvania ...

 

[j.w]

@JAL
Never used any, sorry! I wouldn't think it would hurt tho.
I had to put up a tall net on posts clipped to a short fence to keep critters including raccoons out. We only had a few tho, not a ton of them like you do!

 

[GBBUDD]

I BELIEVE TULSEY LANDSCAPING had a video where they did similar but the video they actualy had a baby raccoon with them. my gut would be if your over run with them then someone is feeding them and you need to find who it is and make them stop. it's illegal in MANY MNAY AREAS to feed such. electric fence would also be a alternative

 

[Lisak1]

We once concocted a spray comprised of every smelly, hot, spicy thing we could think of to combat a skunk - it actually worked! We didn't spray it on the ground or near the pond; we just sprayed it in the areas where we thought the skunk was gaining entry into the yard - under and over the gate and fence mainly. We sprayed for 5-6 days in a row and convinced him to go find his delicious fish dinner elsewhere.