When cops didn’t have a Scooby.. CRIME-FIGHTING PETS
YESTERDAY we reported how a pet bird turned Hercule Parrot in order to snare a burglar.
Charlie has been hailed a hero after his squawks alerted his owner to a break-in at her home.
But he’s not the only pet detective, as NATASHA WYNARCZYK reveals…
Ruff justice: In 2008 a real-life Scooby-doo took to the witness stand to assist with his Parisian owner’s murder. Pet pooch Scooby barked “furiously” when confronted with the alleged killer in court. The judge praised the pup for his “exemplary behaviour and invaluable assistance”.
Six years later, a Labrador called Tango was also called as a witness in a French murder case.
Long arm of the paw: Bengal cat Leo was hailed a hero after he fought off a would-be burglar who broke into his owners’ West Sussex home at night. After the intruder came in through the window, Leo sprang into action, meowing loudly and causing the robber to flee the scene. Although the burglar wasn’t caught, in 2012 Leo was honoured for his actions and was a finalist in the Hero Cat category of the Cats Protection UK National Cat Awards.
Claw and order: A cockatoo called Larry provided vital evidence in a murder trial after he caught his owner’s killers’ DNA on his beak. In 2002, Kevin Butler was stabbed by two men. While the attack was under way brave bird Larry pecked the heads of the murderers, but died after being stabbed to death by a fork. During the trial, DNA scrapings from Larry’s beak helped lead to the murderers’ convictions.
Hairy situation: The dismembered body of a man washed up in 2012 on a beach near Chichester, West Sussex, wrapped up in a curtain. Detectives discovered there were several cat hairs on the curtain and matched it with DNA obtained from a moggy owned by David Hilder, the main suspect.
This led to him being convicted and sentenced to life in jail.
Doing bird: Talkative parrot Heera managed to correctly identify his owner’s murderer in 2014.
Ashutosh Goswami could have got away with killing aunt Neela in Agra, India, if he’d not committed the crime in front of the bird.
After police said it could have been somebody known to her as there was no forced entry, her widower Vijay knew
Heera could have witnessed it.
After Vijay read out a list of names, the parrot squawked “he’s the killer, he’s the killer” when it heard Goswami’s name, leading the murderer to confess his crime to the police.