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PITTSBURGH, Penn. (USA)
— Although we can't be sure, the transcript of
the police call may have gone something like this:
Operator: Crime-stopper
hotline. Would you like to report a crime?
Voice: Yelp!
Operator: Yep? Ok
then. Please describe the suspect, ma'am.
Voice: Ruff!
Operator: I'm sure that goes
without saying. Where exactly is the suspect located?
Voice: Roof!
Operator: And how did he get up
there?
Voice: Bark!
Operator: Bark...? You mean he
climbed up the bark of a tree?
Voice: Yelp!
Operator:
Ok, ma'am. Give
us your address, and we'll send a police car over right away.
[lengthy pause]
Voice: Listen, pal. How
about I just bring you the guy's wallet and ID and save us all a lot of
time?
And so it happened (for the most
part). Today the Post-Gazette
reported that a suspected serial prowler is in custody thanks to being
fingered (or 'pawed'?) by "Shorty", an 11-month-old
Husky-Retriever mutt who came from an animal shelter.
Shorty had been playing a
game of fetch at Shrader Lane Apartments where she lives with Tina Freeman when the event occurred. Ms.
Freeman's boyfriend Duane Palmer recounts how on Jan. 16 he tossed the
ball to Shorty and watched her run after it. Some time later, the
feisty pup returned not with the ball but with a wallet.
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The couple took the mysterious wallet to
North Huntingdon Police. Officers noticed that the driver's license
photo matched the description of a man suspected of peeping into one of
the apartments on Shrader Lane on Jan. 9.
Shorty's tips for catching crooks: Keep
your ears open and your nose pressed to the ground. (Photo: Martha Rial / Post-Gazette)
Police then charged the man, 23-year-old Eddie Gaines of North Huntingdon, with loitering
and prowling and disorderly conduct. He faces a preliminary hearing on Feb.
20 before District Justice Douglas Weimer.
The little canine crimestopper had joined the Freeman family a few months
ago when Tina, 23, rescued the pup from a shelter in Washington County.
For her excellent detective work, Shorty was rewarded with her favorite
treats: Kit Kat bars, Beggin' Strips and more games of fetch.
Tune in to see what Shorty brings back next time (did they ever find Jimmy
Hoffa?).
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