Michigan Cops in Big Trouble Over Stray Dog Prank

Some officers with the Ferndale Police Department in Michigan are doggone heelarious!

…At least they think so.

When a stray dog (he looks like a Puggle, a Pug/Beagle mix) was brought into the police station, the dispatcher on duty expressed interest in adopting him. But then he changed his mind, according to WDIV.

So, instead of handing the dog over to animal control as they are supposed to do, a lieutenant and two police officers got the wacky idea to go all “Jackass” on the dispatcher. Emphasis on jackass.

In the middle of the night, one of the officers — who was on duty at the time — drove the dog to a house in Southfield, about five miles from Ferndale, where he thought the dispatcher was staying. Using a rope, he tied the dog to the door and left him there.

And here comes the really knee-slappin’ part: It wasn’t the right house! And the homeowner thought someone was trying to break in, so he called the Southfield Police Department!

The Ferndale Police Department was not amused. “There’s no excuse for the behavior that happened. There’s no excuse for their conduct whatsoever,” Lt. William Wilson told WDIV. “It’s infantile. It’s grade schoolish, middle-schoolish at best.”

Police Chief Timothy D. Collins said “severe disciplinary action” will be taken very soon against the three officers.

It’s no surprise that people on Facebook are also angered by the prank. “When you tie a dog up, you make him defenseless against other dogs, people, rats, possums, etc.,” wrote one commenter on the WDIV Local 4 / Click On Detroit page. “These officers put this poor dog in danger, not to mention how confused & scared he was. These officers should lose their jobs, for they gave no consideration to a life or the danger they put that dog in. Shame on them.”

Hear, hear. Fortunately, the stray dog was “physically okay,” according to WDIV. He’s staying at the animal control center in Southfield and has not yet been claimed.

“[It was] a huge waste of police resources. Somebody could have gotten hurt,” said WDIV reporter Hank Winchester. “And, at the end of the day, the dog at the center of this entire controversy is still sitting in the pound.”

Photo via Facebook