In Germantown, Wisconsin, a Black Labrador mix named Monty helped recover a stolen pistol. Sniffing out the gun in a frequented local park, Monty’s diligent nose may have prevented a tragedy.
While out on a regular walk in Alt Bauer Park, the pup spotted something odd on the ground. Sandi Heinemann, Monty’s mom, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Monty “was really intent on it,” kept sniffing, and kept going back to it.
“The last time he was so intent on an object was when he saw a dead fish near a pond,” she relayed. “I was like, ‘Come on, leave it alone.'”
However, once Heinemann got a closer look, she realized it wasn’t a dead animal at all, but a pistol, just lying on the ground in a public park.
Monty & Mom Did Everything Right
Immediately, Heinemann called the police. She and Monty backed away; they didn’t touch the gun but kept an eye out and waited for authorities to arrive.
As it turns out, the local Germantown Police had been looking for the firearm. Germantown Police Chief Mike Snow told the Sentinel that the pistol had been stolen.
On October 28th, local police chased an 18-year-old man who stole the pistol from a retail store, then ran through the park toward Menomonee Falls. Eventually, they caught him, but somewhere along the way, he dumped the pistol.
Police could not locate the missing firearm — not even with their own trained police dog.
Snow further said that Monty is a hero, whom he’s quite thankful for, as the gun was fully loaded.
Tragedy Averted & A Hero Dog Honored
Playing children often frequent the park where Monty found the firearm. “It could have had a tragic ending,” Snow said. “[The firearm] had a chance of it being used.”
For this heroic action, the Germantown police department made Monty an honorary K9 officer and even gave him an official badge, in addition to some yummy treats and a special ceremony.
Accompanied by the police to a local pet store, The Vault, Monty got to select his treats, himself, and the pet store owner, Ken Manske, happily accommodated.
“I let him pick out treats,” Manske said. “He was very calm, cool, and relaxed. It is an awesome thing the dog did. Here is an average dog that did what dogs with a lot of training did.”
It’s worth noting that Monty was a rescue, adopted from the Humane Animal Welfare Society of Waukesha. Rescue dogs do some pretty amazing things. There might be a hero at your local shelter right this very minute.
You can also check out DogTime’s adoption page that lets you search for adoptable dogs by breed and zip code. Who knows? You might end up adopting the next hero dog — or just a great and loving companion!
What would you do if your dog found a gun on the ground? Do you think dogs like Monty show how amazing shelter pets can be? Let us know in the comments below.
