Dog Wins $2K For Finding Escaped Prison Inmate

When Michael Charles Burham, an inmate at the Warren County Prison in Warren, Pennsylvania, escaped on July 7th, police in nearby Jamestown, New York, warned the public to be on the lookout for the “very dangerous” fugitive and to “report anything out of the ordinary.” Although Tucker, a six-year-old lab-mix, may not have gotten that message, when he came across Burham in the woods behind his owner’s home outside Warren on Tuesday, he started barking.

Tucker’s owners, Ron and Cindy Ecklund, knew something was up when their pup wouldn’t come back to their home after being called, so they drove their golf cart to check the area. They expected to find a hiker or fisherman at the creek on the property but discovered Burham. The fugitive said he was out there camping, but Ron recognized him from the news and the couple promptly returned to their home and called the authorities.

Police quickly apprehended a “tired and worn out” Burham and in recognition of his actions leading to the fugitive’s capture, Tucker was awarded $2-thousand, a portion of the $22,000 reward being offered for Burham. Tucker's share of the reward money was soon spent on new toys, a new collar, and a bucket of tennis balls. And according to Cindy, there was even a "ribeye steak in the fridge waiting for him after all this is over."

Source: PEOPLE


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