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Rogue Dog Under Arrest

DW staff (als)January 2, 2008

Only in Germany would police arrest a dog. But arrest a collie they did, for a major canine "faux-paw:" trying to get a free ride on one of the country's most treasured modes of transport.

A bearded collie standing on a lawn
Surely nothing this cute could commit a crime?Image: picture-alliance / OKAPIA KG

Lovers of law and order that they are, Germans just couldn't have it that a dog would dare to ride the train without a ticket. So, police arrested the rollicky collie near the central city of Kassel.

But rather than be angry, Kassel cops were amused by the dog's antics. Police said the collie jumped aboard the passenger rail-car at a stop in Hümme, a tiny town near Kassel, in the state of Hesse.

Nabbing the collie

Then again, some collies look clever enough to make a dash for the trainImage: AP

The train driver, luckily, was adept at multi-tasking and managed to grab the canine beast and tie it up to his seat. Police in Kassel later placed the dog in the city pound.

The dog also committed a second big no-no in the German handbook of responsible living: not registering his identity to city officials.

"It not only didn't have a ticket," police told DPA. "It didn't have an ownership tag either."

The Kassel cops were still impressed by the scoundrel, though. They said it reminded them of canine screen star Lassie, who always managed to make the cross-country journey home to its owners -- without a train ticket.

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