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.
Good morning everyone!
This looks like a good place for this.
A burglar goes to this house late at night and starts robbing it. He is just getting going when he hears a voice say, “Jesus is watching you.”
He stops for a minute but soon continues on. Again, he hears “Jesus is watching you.”
He stops again but soon continues on. Again, he hears “Jesus is watching you.”
He discovers the voice belongs to a large parrot. He smiles to himself and continues on, a third time the parrot says the same thing.
Frustrated the burglar turns around and says, “Be quiet you dumb parrot! What’s your name anyhow?”
The parrot replies, “Clarence.”
The burglar laughs, “What kinda people name their bird Clarence?”
“The same kind who name their Rottweiler Jesus!”
Ba-da-boom, Alan! 😉
Nailed it, Alan!
Wow, Debbie! This made my day for sure…
Having worked as a swing shift dispatcher at our local sheriff’s department back in the day, I know from personal experience how creative LE can be in the interests of public safety.
I particularly enjoyed the one above about the barking officer. Reminds me of a couple of incidents here in my home town. 🙂
Have a great day!
Deb, glad these tales (tails?) brought back fond memories. Gee, maybe you should write a book about your experiences! 😉
The only story I’ve ever heard about a golden retriever being aggressive was when some dangerous nutcase on meth entered a small store with a bat in his hand. The golden went over the top of the counter and took the man down before he could hurt the owner. The police got him, and the sweet pup got lots of tummy rubs. This happened a few miles from where I live. I very much doubt my golden Molly would have done that, but Mom and I figured we’d get to safety while she was showing them where the silver was.
For those in need of cheery dog stories about brave and good pups, I recommend WeRateDogs on YouTube. Lots of great dog stories from around the US, and the profits go to a dog charity. Also, Jonny Devanny’s channel. His series on how different dog breeds react to burglars is snarky and accurate.
“Mom and I figured we’d get to safety while she was showing them where the silver was.”
That’s hilarious, Marilynn! Sounds like every Golden I’ve ever known.
What great stories, Debbie. I’ve always had a lot of respect for law enforcement, but i never realized how far they have to go above and beyond. I wonder if “How to Capture an Alligator” is in their training manual.
Thanks for adding a couple of smiles to my day.
Glad you enjoyed these, Kay. In Floirida, I suspect gator wrangling may be included in training. Had a friend who’d been both a cop and a ranger in the Keys and he regularly told stories about removing unwelcome gators from swimming pools and campground restrooms.
Not giving anything away, but one of these categories of calls is in my current wip.
Looking forward to reading that book, Terry!