A Dog Too Cheerful: A Mystery at the Police Station
It was a calm morning at the police station, around ten o’clock. Suddenly, an elderly woman, about seventy, entered confidently. She held a plump, reddish dog on a leash. The dog wagged its tail, bounced on the spot, and looked unusually lively.
“Good morning. I need to speak with your chief,” she said calmly.
The officer on duty frowned, unsure.
“Ma’am, do you want to file a report?” he asked.
“No,” she replied sharply. “I need to reveal a secret. Very important. It concerns my dog… and possibly more.”
The dog tried to climb the counter, tongue lolling happily.
“Your dog?” the officer repeated, surprised.
“Yes. He’s… too cheerful lately. Even too much. It’s strange.”
Despite the officer suggesting a nearby veterinary clinic, she insisted: “You don’t understand. I live alone. I see him every day. This is not just happiness—he acts as if he’s on something!”
The chief decided to intervene. “Take her to the interrogation room. I’ll speak to her.”
The Interrogation
The elderly woman sat opposite the sergeant. The dog lay at her feet, bouncing like a spring.
“Let’s start from the beginning. How long has he acted this way?”
“About a week,” she replied. “Before that, he was calm, slow—normal for his age and size.”
“What do you feed him?”
“One type of food, special for elderly dogs. Always the same brand, one bowl in the morning, one in the evening. Filtered water. No bones, no treats. We walk twice a day—morning in the park, evening by the lake.”
“Are the walking areas supervised?”
“The park sometimes. The lake is quiet, no one around.”
“And the food?”
“I always buy it at the same store. Last package came online, delivered home. Same flavor… but a few days later, he started bouncing like crazy.”
The Discovery
The sergeant sent the leftover food to a lab. The dog’s bowl and the dog himself were tested.
Two days later, the results arrived. Traces of synthetic psychostimulants—hidden as fat-soluble additives—were found in the food. The packaging looked genuine, but it was fake. The dog’s blood confirmed the substances had accumulated, explaining his unusual behavior.
The investigation quickly located the warehouse that distributed the tainted dog food. Small batches containing microdoses of psychoactive substances were being sold. The plan? Slowly create dependency, forcing owners to buy that specific “brand.”
Thanks to the elderly woman’s report, labs confirmed 12 more cases in nearby districts. Inspections of stores, suppliers, and online shops followed.
A Heroic Owner
The senior sergeant called the woman again.
“Ma’am, you may have saved dozens of families. Thank you,” he said, handing her an official certificate of appreciation.
Her dog, now detoxified, sat drowsy under the table.
“I hope he becomes lazy again, like before,” she smiled.
“If needed, we’ll be here. Your dog will always be under our supervision… just in case,” the sergeant replied.
They both laughed, the tension finally gone.
