Spottings of furry cyclist around Prince George lead to retrieval of human society’s mascot
Mischievous husky had been spotted riding a small bicycle around town before police were able to return the costume
Police in Prince George, B.C. have apprehended a mischievous suspected mascot thief who was spotted wearing the canine outfit while riding a small bicycle around town as reported by the CBC. The Prince George Humane Society lost it’s husky mascot costume when it was taken from an animal rescue van in mid-September.
The costume had been missing for 10 days before it was retrieved a little dirty but otherwise in good repair. Since Chance the mascot disappeared, there had been several sightings of someone wearing the costume while biking around the city on a small bicycle but it had yet to be retrieved. The mascot was used at public events and to entertain children at birthday parties. The Prince George Humane Society describes Chance as an adult-sized neutered two-year-old male husky.
The mascot is pretty easy to spot. The large grey furred canine has big bushy ears, large light blue eyes, a long tail and plush nose. It’s no surprise when a costumed individual began riding around town in the costume, people took notice.
“I thought of Wile E. Coyote,” local Susan Phillips, who wasn’t aware the costume was stolen, told the CBC. “This is downtown Prince George. You never know what you’re going to see. So I smiled and kept driving.”
Terri Lube, the director of the humane society didn’t think the costume would ever be retrieved noting that it would cost between $3,000 and $5,000 to replace. When sightings of the mascot costumed cyclist began, Lube says she was glab it led to the retrieval of the mascot.
“It’s funny but not funny,” Lube said to the CBC. “You have to see the humour. It was kind of a new adventure for everybody.”
On Sunday, a photo on social media was shared with the humane society. The tip led to the retrieval of the costume. A women was arrested but released without charge pending further investigation. On Monday, Chance was back with the humane society who were now trying to figure out how to clean Chance.
The mascot costume had not been the only thing stolen in recent weeks. Trucks, tires, a backyard fence, and even a tiny home and a hot tub had gone missing in Prince George.