Found pieces of animal hair in my backyard... Calling those CSI wanna-bes for answers!!?

Today is probably the nicest day so far to go our to my backyard here in Toronto... when I came out I found animal hair scattered all over my backyard... I saw a raccoon walking around the neighborhood a couple of nights and immediately thought this was raccoon hair... Do raccoons change hair/fur ? could this be a possum? Do you guys know of any animals that change hair??? they were pieces of hair like someone/something was pulling hair out of an animal... also thought of a fight between 2 animals but the hair seems to be form one animal only.... Any help you can provide identifying the culprit... I am a bit concerned if the animal is sick and that's the reason its shedding fur/hair! I have a 3 year old and wouldn't like him to get anything from a sick animal....