Oak Ridge Cat-astrophe 

At about 11:15 p.m. on Oct. 13, a UW-Eau Claire police officer was dispatched to Oak Ridge Hall in regard to an animal custody case. The officer was advised that a resident assistant had located a stray cat on campus. 

Before arriving on the scene, the officer was made aware that the cat had no collars or tags identifying who it belonged to. Once at Oak Ridge, it was observed that the cat was a small, black kitten. There were also no signs of obvious harm or illness to the animal.

Trying to figure out how this cat was found, the officer talked to the RA who said that around 10:30 p.m., he was walking through the Oak Ridge Hall Parking Lot and heard loud meowing noises.

He looked around for the noise, and found the kitten under a parked car. He didn’t see anyone nearby that seemed as if they were looking for the kitten. The RA believed someone could have dumped the kitten after not being able to care for it.

The officer and RA worked together to get the kitten in a safe cat carrier so it could be transported to the Eau Claire County Humane Association. The officer noted that the kitten was very friendly.

After transporting the cat in the squad car, the officer completed the intake process and ensured there was food and water in the kennel before leaving the shelter. They then went back to Oak Ridge to return the RA’s cat carrier. 

Dognapping Debunked

At about 9:39 a.m. on Oct. 14, a golden dog with a purple collar and leash was located near the McPhee Physical Education Center wooden stairs. An officer was dispatched to make contact with the person who made this observation.

While en route, the officer was flagged down by a woman along University Drive. The woman identified herself and let the officer know that the dog was her parents and she had been taking care of it.

She said the dog, which she identified as a golden retriever mix, had pushed through the parent’s door and began running towards campus. The woman was informed that the dog was possibly located, but to stay near Towers South Hall while the dog was picked up.

The officer then went back to the McPhee and talked to the witness, who said he observed a golden retriever unattended. He had been sitting near the base of the stairs and was friendly to those who passed by. To confirm the dog’s identity, it was taken back to Upper Campus.

After verifying that the dog was in fact her parents, the dog was given back to the woman at the scene. 

Each of these cases was recorded using UW-Eau Claire Police Department-issued body cameras.

Moris can be reached at [email protected].