Officers Didn't Have a Tiger By the Tail After All

An animal control officer cuddles up next to a stuffed tiger “impounded” in western Michigan Thursday. (Photo via Kent County Animal Control Facebook page)

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It would have been a full, rich day if animal-control officers had found what they were looking for in Grand Rapids Thursday – a tiger on the prowl in a residential neighborhood.

That’s the kind of call that demands a serious response, and animal-control officers were ready. Kent County Animal Control Officer Joe Dainelis told The Grand Rapids Press/MLive.com it’s not unheard of for he and his colleagues to get calls about exotic animals on the lam.

When he and others approached residential driveway, it appeared this was one of those calls. The size was right. So were the stripes. A small tiger – a cub perhaps – appeared to be sunning itself on the driveway.

“I thought, ‘No way, it can’t be,’ “ he told the Grand Rapids newspaper.

In the end, he was right – no, it couldn’t be – and all the officers ended up with was a funny story and some adorable photos. The tiger was, ahem, just toying with them.

Dainelis and the animal control staff had some fun with the whole thing, posing for selfies with the life-sized stuffed tiger and posting them on the Kent County Animal Shelter Facebook page. They’re also looking for a good home with a child for the stuffed tiger.

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