Stolen Puppy Rescued By Canadian Mounties: RCMP Relies On Rescued Dog [Video]

When a tiny chihuahua-dachshund puppy named Hercules was stolen from a pet store, the owners were frantic to find the little dog. So the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) came to the rescue, hunting high and low for the tail trail, reported the Province.

The RCMP used the combined forces of social media and public tips to retrieve the puppy from his prison, which turned out to be in central Nanaimo. What to do when you’ve been rescued by the Mounties and cuddled?

The uninjured tiny dog happily thanked the police for their attention by cheerfully permitting photos during his tour of the official RCMP headquarters, said the Mounties’ spokesman.

“Hercules quickly warmed to the attention lathered on him, so officers felt it was only fitting he receive a tour of the local detachment to meet the investigators who made his recovery possible. He certainly wasn’t shy and posed for several pictures.”

If you’re thinking that tiny dog looks mighty cute or contemplating putting a kitten under the Christmas tree, you don’t have to head to the nearest pet store to buy one. As the Inquisitr reported, dog rescue organizations and pet shelters across the nation are holding home-for-the-holidays events hoping that their little temporary residents will find fur-ever homes.

Some shelters even dress up the dogs, while other animal rescue groups are featuring Santa Paws for photo ops with your adopted pet, shown below.

http://youtu.be/h8UatBF-7to

But although many pet adoption stories have happy tails endings, it took longer for a stray dog to become the unofficial canine mascot and buddy for the Behchoko RCMP, reported the CBC News.

It all began when an officer named Seth Thomas began to feed the abandoned dog. He had to leave that detachment, but vowed that if she was still there when he returned, he would adopt her and name her Paddy Cakes.

Two weeks later, upon Seth’s return, the dog came running to him, gently reaching up to press her paws against his heart.

“And basically she’s been with me ever since,” said Thomas.

But although Paddy Cakes belongs to Seth, the dog has taken on multiple roles for the RCMP. She helps the children and some adults communicate more easily with the Mounties, who can seem especially threatening to little kids.

“[The dog’s presence] makes it easy for the kids to come up, and for us to talk to the kids. Generally sometimes kids are afraid of us. Adults too.”

Even tough prisoners soften when they see Paddy Cakes, adds Seth.

“People will get up in the morning and they’ll see Paddy Cakes. It’s calming for them, they pat her, and they see her out on the street it’s the same thing too. There’s a rapport there now.”

Thomas admitted that there’s just one problem. The dog has become so popular, with so many adults and children clamoring to walk her, that they had to set up a schedule.

“And sometimes we have to have a list set up for who’s going to walk Paddy Cakes when.”

Corporal Kirk Hughes summed up the power of Paddy Cakes, who once was a neglected stray dog and now is the most popular creature in the area.

“It boils down to the fact that she’s always compassionate. It’s amazing how adults, RCMP officers, youth especially, they come to this detachment not in a happy mood, or something’s transpired that’s traumatic, or sad. Now we have a dog that breaks down those barriers and people can relate to her and just connect with her. It kind of just soothes everything down.”

But at the end of the day, when Paddy Cakes is ready for some doggy down time, it’s Seth to whom she runs for R & R.

“At first I know I was the one who started feeding her and stuff but eventually she was the one that stuck with me, and she’s always been by my side all the time,” reflects Thomas. “So really, she adopted me.”

[Photo By China Photos/Getty Images]