German Shepherd’s are one of the most sought after dogs in the country.
Acquiring a German Shepherd puppy is a process that usually involves a deposit, a waiting list, and a hefty sum of money… or you know, depending on where you live, responding to an ad in the newspaper.
If someone on a street corner offers you a free German Shepherd puppy, you should probably take a minute and ask “what’s the catch?”
According to ABC Detroit, a Michigan woman failed to ask what the catch was when she recently agreed to take home a free “German Shepherd puppy,” and as it turns out she wound up illegally harboring a hyena pup in her home before realizing something was up.
The woman was shopping at the Papaya Fruit Market in Detroit when she encountered a man handing out “free puppies.”
“He told me it was a German Shepherd puppy.”
She said that in the ensuing weeks, she noticed that something seemed to be off about the dog. She also noticed that it had tremendous leaping ability. However, she thought maybe it was just sick or something.
“It was making a strange noise … it’s already funny looking, so we just thought … maybe something was wrong with it, we took it to the vet.”
Once she took the pup to the vet, she was dealt some surprising news.
“The vet said, ‘no, this is not a German Shepherd. They did do blood work on the animal, but they said from the looks, the way it acts … everything, it was a hyena.”
Animal Control was immediately alerted, and the woman was not allowed to leave with the hyena because they are not legal in Detroit, however the state of Michigan has no restrictions related to owning or possessing a hyena.
According to Detroit Animal Control, most unusual pets like a hyena are banned in the city.
“Pretty much if you don’t own a dog, cat, ferret, guinea pig, or a similar pocket pet that you could pick up at a local pet shop, those animals are going to be illegal.
Anything that you would see running loose in the wild, anything that might appear in a zoo or a circus, the rule is those aren’t going to be acceptable in a regular home.”
Apparently the man handing out hyenas had 5 more of them with him at the time, so it is now likely that other unsuspecting folks in the area are now unknowingly in possession of a hyena as well.
The most shocking twist in the story is that the woman plans on keeping the hyena, no matter what it takes.
“I’m prepared to move if they need me to move.”
I did not see the story ending this way, and you have to respect the woman’s dedication to keeping the hyena. Here’s to hoping this story has a happy ending with the hyena becoming a beloved part of the woman’s family wherever they choose to relocate.
