The police department joked that “the suspect was released without conditions — and a full belly!”
Credit: Alberta RCMP/Instagram
NEED TO KNOW
- A fox was caught stealing hot dogs during a police patrol
- Police in in Alberta, Canada, shared a photo of the fox with the hot dogs, sparking lighthearted reactions on social media
- The police department joked that “the suspect was released without conditions — and a full belly!”
Police in Canada had their hands full trying to catch a hot dog thief.
The barbecue-stealing suspect in Crowsnest Pass was described as “having red hair, being short in stature, and wearing a thick coat” — because it was none other than a hungry fox.
In a photo of the fox posted on Alberta Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s Instagram on May 12, the fox cheerfully stands in the grass with a mouth full of stolen hot dogs.
View this post on Instagram
At the time, a constable from the police department was patrolling when she saw the fox holding about five to six hot dogs.
It's unclear where the fox found the food items, but police jokingly made up a backstory for the photo on social media.
"After a brief investigation, the suspect was located attempting to conceal the evidence nearby," they captioned the photo. “The suspect was released without conditions — and a full belly!”
After the constable spotted the wild animal, the fox ran off into the woods as they surrounded the neighborhood, according to The Washington Post.
“We're hoping that people see it for what it was: a lighthearted story — something funny — to share with the public and, you know, something that hopefully will bring smiles to a few people,” Cpl. Mathew Howell told the outlet.
People also hilariously reacted to the hot dog-loving fox in the comments, with one person writing, "😂 what a yummy supper he had that day!"
"He is innocent!!! Could have got those weiners anywhere!!!" another added.
A third user said, "That's such a cute picture lol! He hungry!! 🌭🌭🦊"
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As The Washington Post noted, Canada celebrated Victoria Day on May 18, and the fox grabbed the hot dogs just a few days before that happened — so it could have been from an early barbecue in honor of the public holiday.
One thing is for sure, he's one happy fox who is no longer hungry.
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