Franklin Police Department/FacebookPolice in Massachusetts discovered they had a corrupt worker in their midst when they caught their therapy dog stealing Christmas presents.
It seems there’s no better disguise for a criminal than puppy dog eyes and golden fur, because Franklin Police Department’s resident ‘good boy’, Ben Franklin, managed to fool them all.
The golden retriever joined the force in February to offer comfort to the local community, and after 10 months of gaining his co-workers’ trust it seems the dog decided it was time to unleash his bad side.
Check out Ben’s mischievous actions below:
With Christmas fast approaching, Franklin Police Department had been collecting gifts for the Santa Foundation; a charity that provides gifts for families in need.
Staff had been storing the gifts in a classroom before they were ready to be sent off, but the four-legged member of the team decided he didn’t want to see the toys go.
Officer Mucciarone, Ben’s handler, told The Dodo the dog spotted the presents when the classroom door was left open one day. With no one to tell him they were destined for other people, Ben helped himself to a stuffed animal.
Mucciarone explained:
So this room is full, and I mean chock full of toys and gifts, and usually it’s under lock and key but somebody had gone in and I noticed Ben had walked out with a stuffed animal.
Franklin Police Department/FacebookThe officer decided to let the retriever keep that one toy, because he had ‘slobbered all over it’. Having got away with the theft, Ben tried his luck and returned to the classroom the following day.
This time, the mischievous dog tried to make off with a brand new baby doll in a carrier, but the police must have sensed some wrongdoing because the pup was caught red-handed. Or rather, red-pawed.
An officer caught the crime on camera and filmed Ben scuttling off down the corridor with the doll in his mouth. The dog didn’t appear too bothered by the fact he’d been rumbled and carried on to what officers dubbed his ‘lair’ – which was located beneath a desk.
Franklin Police Department/FacebookThere, Ben added the doll to his collection of stolen goodies.
Franklin Police Department shared the video on Facebook, writing:
We learned an extremely valuable lesson today. When you have a classroom full of toys ready to be shipped off to the Santa Foundation, you should…
1. Close the door to the classroom
Or
2. Keep the toys elevated
Franklin Police Department/FacebookThe post continued:
If not, a golden retriever will slowly hoard them throughout the day and bring them back to his lair. Thanks to Officer Cusson for capturing this larceny on camera.
Thankfully Ben isn’t likely to be charged for his actions – he’s far too adorable to be put behind bars – though police better keep an eye out for any of his unlawful antics in the future!
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.