Franklin Township police in New Jersey dismantled the front end of a car on September 14 to free a three-foot ball python wedged in the grille. Body-camera footage showed officers removing parts of the vehicle to extract the snake. Aiyana Hudson, the car owner, said she was relieved the animal didn't pop through the AC vent while she was driving. She noted her car would have been on fire otherwise, prompting a call to the fire department instead of a wildlife rescue.
In Virginia, Prince William County officers chased a runaway pig through rain-soaked roads in Dale City on September 22. The department posted video of the pursuit, captioning it with a request for a cop joke. Officers caught the pig near Trident Lane and Dale Boulevard. The story took a darker turn when police revealed the dog roaming with the pig was struck and killed by a vehicle at another location.
Southern California saw a SWAT operation turn violent when a suspect barricaded in Wilmington bit a police dog. Redondo Beach police said the felon tore off part of K-9 Wouter's ear during the apprehension. Wouter was taken to an animal hospital and photographed wearing a protective cone. The department shared the images while wishing the dog a speedy recovery.
Back in Florida, Eduardo Alvarez posted a video on September 16 showing his dog, Summer, confronting a blue land crab holding a pocketknife blade. Alvarez described the crustacean as a “gangster-ass crab” before moving it further into his yard. The clip attracted over 20 million views, though the source of the blade remained unclear. In Texas, a 60-year-old man crashed his vehicle through a closed Kroger in Rosenberg at 4:30 a.m. on September 27. Police said he needed a bathroom and intentionally rammed the pharmacy entrance. He was arrested on criminal-mischief charges as the department warned the public to find open businesses for restroom needs.