A puppy made it from Virginia to its new home in Maine on Sunday, thanks to the Bangor Police Department.
Two Bangor police officers, who escorted a Wreaths Across America convoy to Arlington National Cemetery last week, picked up the puppy at the request of a Waldoboro woman who contacted the department for help after learning about the trip to Washington, D.C.
The puppy, a 14-week-old border collie named Tessa, was adopted by the woman – identified only as Chris on the Bangor police Facebook page – who had no way of transporting the canine to Maine before Christmas.
Lt. Tim Cotton, who presides over the department’s Facebook page using the initials TC, recounted the conversation between Officers Jordan Perry and Danny Place as he tried to sell the two on the puppy detour:
TC: “Can you two bring a puppy back from Virginia after your visit to Arlington National Cemetery on Saturday? I am working on a Christmas miracle.”
Officer Perry: “Yes. Let me check with Danny.” (hollers to Danny) “The Lieutenant wants to know if we can pick up a puppy in Virginia and deliver it to Maine.”
Officer Place: “Of course.”
A stranger donated a bag of dog food for the journey.
The officers picked up the puppy from its foster mother, Beth Foster, at a hotel lobby Sunday morning and started driving north. The trip was going well Sunday.
In a Facebook post late Sunday afternoon titled “Pupdate,” Cotton wrote that Perry and Place “are certain Tessa will be home in Waldoboro, Maine late this evening.”
“Additionally, Tessa’s inner plumbing is working well, she is a good traveler, and does not appear to mind riding in the back of a police cruiser,” Cotton said.
Cotton described Tessa as being from a line of herding breeds. “I was also told that Perry rushed back to the cruiser when Tessa indicated it was time to move out. No nipping at the heels was necessary. She wants to get to Maine and so do the boys. Who’s in charge. You figure it out.”
Cotton said that Perry told him that everything is on track for a “PPPCPP (Perfect PoPo Christmas Puppy Pass-off).”
Staff Writer Dennis Hoey contributed to this report.
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