The California Highway Patrol got several unusual calls Friday at midnight, as drivers began asking police for help to catch a stray Husky running on the 91 Freeway.
Animal control officials identified the 1-year-old husky and found that he is well-groomed and well-cared for, signs that he has an owner.
Officers Michael Chitjian and Jennifer Pinnow did their best to encourage the pooch to surrender. Instead the husky chose to trot away from the officers and refused to give up.
Pinnow tried to become a dog whisperer, patting the dog's head and giving him a reassuring rub.
The Husky was cooperative with the officers until he saw the officer's snare. After that, the chase continued.
It would take another round of dogged persistence and negotiations to capture this four-legged outlaw, but they did.
"This is the cutest in-custody ever," Pinnow said.
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It turns out that Pinnow has three dogs of her own.
The unclaimed canine was taken to Orange County Animal Care.
"He has no chip, and there were no tags, so there is no contact info," said Jessica Novillo, outreach community manager of Orange County Animal Care. "He's going to be staying here through his retention time."
That means he'll be held at the center for seven days. If an owner doesn't claim him he'll be put up for adoption.
“He's really sweet. From moment we went up to kennel he was wagging his tail," Novillo said. "He's interested in interacting with us, and he seems like a really nice dog."
There are currently 190 dogs at this shelter, each with a story.
However, not many dogs end up spending their time in the backseat of a patrol car.
