Dale Wimberly heard noises about 12:45 Friday morning coming from the outside of his apartment near 19th and F streets. When the 34-year-old went outside to see what was going on, he saw flashlights and police officers.
Officer Matt Pulec, Mikey the dog and another officer were trying to find the robbers who held up a Happy Cab driver at gunpoint early Friday near 16th and C streets, Assistant Chief Brian Jackson said.
One of the officers told Wimberly his cat had been injured by Mikey.
Wimberly got Andrew, a domestic shorthair, 8-1/2 years ago when the cat was already 6 or 7 years old. Wimberly’s landlord had owned Andrew, but stopped taking care of him after his kids moved out.
Wimberly, a single man without any kids, adopted him. He described Andrew as friendly, mature and “a great cuddler.” Andrew could sense when Wimberly was down and knew how to pick him up. And vice versa.
“Andrew was the closest thing I had to family,” said Wimberly, who works as an administrative worker. “He’s been the best roommate ever.”
On Friday, Wimberly did as the officer suggested and went to comfort Andrew - who was still alive - while they waited for the Humane Society. He saw Andrew in one piece, no blood, but the dog’s bite broke his back.
City ordinance allows owners to let their cats roam so long as they attach a valid license and have them spayed or neutered. Wimberly said Andrew met those requirements and was up-to-date on all his shots.
A sergeant told Wimberly he might get the cat to the vet faster than the Humane Society could arrive. So Wimberly grabbed his keys, scooped up Andrew and hopped in his Honda Civic. An officer escorted him through red lights and stuck around after they got to the vet. Wimberly said the officer seemed genuinely sorry for what happened.
“All in all, the police have been very nice about it,” Wimberly said.
Still, he said he’s reeling and wants to make sure this never happens to another pet owner.
“I just want accountability,” he said.
Pulec, Mikey and another officer had lost the trail of their robbery suspects, Jackson said. They were scouting around and trying to pick up the scent again.
The dog wasn’t tracking the cat. The two animals met when a second officer went up to Wimberly’s porch and accidentally spooked Andrew, who bolted right into Mikey, Jackson said.
“The dog did what the dog does,” he added.
Police officials reviewed the attack and found neither the police dog nor the officers did anything wrong, Jackson said. Pulec was holding Mikey’s leash tightly when the dog bit Andrew, and Mikey had ignored other animals they came across earlier in the tracking.
Said Jackson, “It’s unfortunate. It’s unintended.”
(Lincoln Journal Star - August 27, 2014)
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