by Debbie Burke
Police Officers never know what they’ll find when they answer a call. Here’s a collection of unusual cases involving animals that I uncovered on Police1.com.
Florida law enforcement duties include occasional alligator wrangling. This body cam video from July 2025 shows an amazingly calm officer, Deputy Richardson of the St. John’s County Sheriff’s Department, responding to a gator allegedly trespassing in a resident’s pool. Notice how gently he tucks the gator’s tail into the back seat of his cruiser.
Police1.com also posted a roundup of weird cases from 2023:
In May:
“Springfield, Colorado police found that a suspected drunk driver switched places with a dog before being contacted. ‘The dog does not face any charges and was let go with just a warning,’ said police.”
In July:
“An Oak Grove, Missouri police officer working the midnight shift took time out to help a raccoon whose head was stuck in a jar after a brief foot pursuit.”
August 2023 was an especially busy month for critter calls.
“Police in Norfolk, Nebraska, pulled over Howdy Doody, a Watusi bull known as a celebrity in northeast Nebraska, and his owner Lee Meyer while the bull was riding shotgun in an old police cruiser. Meyer was stopped for vision obstruction.”
From Colorado:
“Douglas County, Colorado, sheriff deputy Lee Jazombek responded to the call of the distressed bear and met up with Colorado Parks and Wildlife officer Sean Dodd, who was already on the scene where a bear became trapped in a dumpster. The officers fashioned a ramp that allowed the bear to escape.”
A K9 shows his versatility in this situation.
“In New York, Carmel Police Department Officer Vincent DeSantola and his K9 Pietro responded to the report of 30 goats loose in the roadway. The dog, a German shepherd, lived up to his name by helping corral the goats who were quickly returned to their pen.”
On the subject of herding, an anonymous officer left the following comment that demonstrates dog cookies aren’t just for dogs:
“I ‘herded’ several loose pigs down a busy highway, into a residential area, back to where the pigs lived. I kept their interest in following me by offering them dog cookies, which I keep in my patrol car.”
Law enforcement sometimes uses special talents not usually associated with criminal apprehension, like voice impressions.
“A Pierce County, Washington deputy barked like a K-9, tricking teen car theft suspects into surrendering when they thought the dogs were on the way.”
And last but not least, people who own Golden Retrievers often joke the breed is so friendly they’d welcome a burglar breaking into their home. Here’s video proof:
“San Diego, California home surveillance video shows a burglar taking a bicycle from a garage and being confronted by the homeowner’s dog. The Golden Retriever approaches him as he exits the garage with the stolen bike where the crook stops to give the undisturbed dog belly rubs.”
Sorry, pup, you just flunked the entrance exam for guard dog school!
Thank you to Police1.com for permission to quote from their site.
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Conference news: October 3-5, 2025, the Flathead River Writers Conference happens in Kalispell, Montana. This is the 35th year for the event which has earned an international reputation for friendliness, education, and inspiration. I’m teaching a Friday workshop on The Villain’s Journey and would love to meet TKZers in person. Hope you can join us! Details.
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TKZers: do you have any critter crimes to report? Suspects are innocent until proven guilty.