Only those who have had a pet go missing can understand the intense fear of losing the thing that you love the most.
So when a dog went missing in Odessa, Texas, we’d bet that his owners were worried sick. However, instead of running around chasing squirrels, having dangerously narrow escapes on roads, and generally just enjoying his newfound freedom, one smart dog knew exactly what to do and handed himself in at the local police station.
In the early hours of a cold February morning in Texas, somebody arrived at the Odessa Police Department to report a missing dog in the local area.
However, in a hilarious turn of events, the person doing the reporting was in fact the missing dog. He propped himself up at the desk and smiled his best smile at all of the police officers in the station. They must have thought that they were dreaming!
Despite being lost and away from his family, the dog looked happy enough and seemed to just want to play.
“We were all excited to have him in the building,” Sergeant Rusty Martin told The Dodo. “We had a tennis ball and threw it in the lobby for a bit. Everyone loved on him.”
Despite enjoying the company of their new pooch, officers turned their attention to the matter at hand.
Who did this dog belong to, and where had he come from? According to the police station, although the friendly boy was wearing a collar, the ID tag had fallen off so they weren’t able to identify him. They immediately called for Animal Control who came to check for a microchip.
But before the team could arrive, the dog decided that he’d had enough hanging around. He walked back out of the door and disappeared into the night. Little did the police know, but the clever pooch was actually heading back to his family home.
Martin posted about the incident on Facebook, and the next day the owner got in touch.
“He ran out just as quick as he came in,” Martin said. “The owner responded the next day [to say that] it was his dog and he had returned home. He lives about a mile from the station.”
The dog was named Chico, and his hilarious story soon had many shares and likes. The police department’s post read:
“So…. this happy guy randomly strolled into the front desk of the Police Department last night. We’re thinking he wanted to apply for a K-9 position after eliminating a Lassie type situation. He was given lots of love and attention until he decided it was time for him to leave. He let himself out and after an exhausting search was not found. We were relieved to learn he safely returned to his owner. Chico is welcome back anytime.”
What a relief that Chico made it back home again. We hope that he doesn’t have to make any more trips to the police station in the future!
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