Driver attempts to switch places with dog to dodge speeding ticket

‘The dog does not face any charges and was let go with just a warning’

(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A Colorado man attempted to switch places with his dog to convince law enforcement officials that the pet was behind the wheel to avoid a ticket, police said.

The driver, who was not named, was pulled over for speeding on Saturday before the man “attempted to switch places with his dog, who was in the passenger seat”, the Springfield police department said.

The man, who was driving from Las Animas to Pueblo, got lost in Springfield and was stopped by the police around 11.30pm on Saturday night.

An officer watched the entire episode of the driver maneuvering inside the car to swap places with the dog before the man himself got out from the passenger side.

“The male party then exited the passenger side of the vehicle and claimed he was not driving,” the police said.

The police said that the man showed clear signs of intoxication and when asked about his alcohol consumption then he ran from the officer before being nabbed again.

“The male party was apprehended quickly within about 20 yards of the vehicle,” police said.

The man was found to have two active warrants for his arrest out of Pueblo and was booked for his warrants and charged with drinking and driving, speeding and resisting arrest.

“The dog was given to an acquaintance of the driver to take care of while the party was in jail,” the police said.

“The dog does not face any charges and was let go with just a warning,” they added.

In January, the Wyandotte Police Department (WPD) of Michigan took to Facebook to share that a police dog was under investigation for allegedly stealing lunch from one of its colleagues.

Sharing the mugshot of the dog named Officer Ice, the police department said the canine is “not cooperating with the investigation” and had a history of rummaging through trash cans.

The cheeky post went viral on social media and was followed by other similar posts by the department.