(COLORADO SPRINGS) — A dog is back home with her owner after somehow becoming trapped on the roof of the Citadel Mall.
According to the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region (HSPPR), security staff were puzzled when they spotted a dog on the roof of the mall. They called Animal Law Enforcement (ALE) for help, and HSPPR said everyone involved could only theorize about Lila the dog’s predicament–only one scenario made sense for why an animal would be on the roof of a building, but it wasn’t quite the right time of year for that.
“Our officers are used to seeing dogs in some interesting situations, but normally, those situations involve gravity,” HSPPR joked in a Facebook post. “Yet there she was, Lila the Summer Reindeer, looking around for a chimney and sweating in the Colorado sun.”
HSPPR said this was the only theory, albeit farfetched, that explained why Lila would have been on the roof.
“She was certain she was one of Santa’s top reindeer, probably second only to Rudolph… This is the only explanation we have for why she was discovered prancing around on the roof of the Citadel Mall,” HSPPR said. “Our best working theory is that she’d been sent ahead of schedule to gather presents for all the good boys and girls before meeting up with the sleigh. Sadly, she was a solid five months too early.”
Regardless of the canine conundrum on their hands, one thing was clear: Lila needed help. So, a plan was devised and an ALE officer supplied with a leash and some water hopped down to where Lila was trapped. Lila wasn’t too sure about her visitor, but some much-needed water and a gentle pat convinced her everything would be ok.
Once Lila had made friends with the officer, the pup was lifted onto a stretcher while two other officers and mall security steadied her from below. Slowly and carefully, Lila was brought to the safety of ground level, where her rescuers discovered another little present–Lila’s collar.
“A quick check revealed her owner had been searching for her for six long days, posting on lost pet sites and even filing a lost pet report with us,” HSPPR said. “One phone call later, and the Christmas-in-August saga came to a very jolly end, complete with a joyful reunion between Lila and her human. There were hugs, happy tears, and just the faintest jingling of imaginary sleigh bells in the background.”
HSPPR said it provided Lila’s owner with some tips to keep her hooves–ahem, paws–firmly planted on the ground in the future. Her little detour serves as a reminder to responsible pet owners to keep a collar on your pets, ensure their ID tags are up-to-date, and microchip them if possible. And if you pet ever goes missing, filing a missing pet report with HSPPR can help get them home for the holidays, and all the days in between.
“No more reindeer games, Lila. At least until December,” HSPPR teased.
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