Happy endings for a dog and a kitten
Every day, police officers respond to reports of all sorts of events and nonevents, most of which never make the news. Here is a sampling of lesserknown — but no less noteworthy — incidents from police log books (a.k.a. blotters) in our communities.
THE DOG RESCUE
Robert Curran, a volunteer firefighter from the town of Harvard, was recently honored for using his drone to find a dog that got lost in the woods. It happened on Dec. 17, when Karen Hsu was walking Toro, her Shiba Inu, around her neighborhood in Devens and the dog got loose and ran off. When Curran heard the news, he contacted Hsu and said he could use his personal drone to help search for Toro. Curran launched the drone near the Fort Devens Museum parking lot and began searching in a circular pattern. Using thermal imaging, he was able to see a white spot on the camera, and when he zoomed in, “There he was,” Curran said. “I could see the fur and the red collar.” Curran then contacted the family and led them to Toro, whose leash was stuck in some brush. Karen Hsu’s daughter, Vicky, said her family is so grateful. “Toro is part of the family. It could have easily been a worstcase scenario of never finding him,” she said. “Without Robert, we wouldn’t be here today.” On March 27, Curran was given an award from Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr.’s office in recognition of his efforts. Early praised Curran for knowing “the desperation someone feels when their pet — a member of their family — is missing” and using his knowledge of drones “to help someone in need.”
THE KITTEN RESCUE
Speaking of animal rescues ... At 10:49 p.m. March 20, a gentleman walked into the lobby of the Hyannis fire station looking for help — he said his daughter’s kitten had climbed under the dashboard of her car and was refusing to come out. Hyannis Fire Captain Jeffrey Huska said firefighters didn’t have to travel far, because the daughter’s car was parked outside the CVS at 176 North St., next door to the fire station. One of the firefighters managed to get a hold of the kitten and successfully removed it from the car without injury. Huska said firefighters in his department have gotten cats out of trees, walls, and pipes, so the fact that a young cat was hiding inside the inner workings of a motor vehicle wasn’t completely surprising. Huska said he and his colleagues take such calls for help very seriously, and treat each one as “if it was our own pet.”
BAREFOOT BURGLAR?
On the morning of March 26, a resident of Crane Brook Way in Peabody contacted police because she thought someone opened her door. According to police transmissions recorded by Broadcastify.com, an officer could be heard saying that he spoke to a “female resident who is baffled by the fact that her deadbolt has been opened, and a fan is propped up against her door.” The alleged trespasser, a 22-year-old Chelsea man, ended up being caught at the scene, and told police he went into the apartment because he was “looking for his shoes.” He was subsequently charged with unarmed burglary and trespassing.
Emily Sweeney can be reached at emily.sweeney@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @emilysweeney and on Instagram @emilysweeney22.