‘Refusing to Negotiate': Dog Standoff on Hudson Valley Rooftop

A “very large and cuddly suspect” found itself in a pretty wild situation Wednesday in Goshen, NY.

What started as a legit call about a dog on a roof quickly had people wondering if the Goshen Police were just having some April Fools’ fun.

Dog on a Roof in Goshen, NY

According to the Goshen Police Department, officers were called to a home after reports of a “suspicious individual” spotted on the roof. When they got there around 3 p.m., they realized the “suspect” was actually a big dog, later described as “very large and cuddly”.

Police went on to explain that the dog somehow made its way onto the roof and was pacing back and forth along the ridge, barking at passing cars like it owned the neighborhood. Once officers arrived at the scene, they set up a perimeter and tried giving commands that the dog ignored. So they moved on to Plan B: treats.

After a short standoff, the suspect finally gave up and was taken into custody without any further drama. Officers were able to safely get the dog down, but once the department posted about it on Facebook, plenty of people thought it had to be an April Fools’ joke.

April Fools' Joke in Goshen?

Goshen PD confirmed the call was 100% real. “Officers really were called for a dog on a roof, and yes, the dog really had to be helped down,” they said. “We know the timing makes it sound made up, but sometimes the calls we get are just that unusual.”

SEE ALSO: Dog 'Problem' Uncovered at Popular Venue in the Hudson Valley

Of course, the comments section went off with various theories, including everything from a rogue frisbee toss to trampolines and even a catapult.

Turns out, none of those were right.

What Happened

Police say the dog pushed out a window screen and climbed onto the roof.

And because this story somehow needed one more twist, while all of this was happening, a random bird flew into the house through that same open window, started tearing the place up, and even went after one of the officers before flying back out.

No injuries were reported. The dog was safely returned home and released with a warning. Police did say that they considered charging the dog with:

• Trespassing
• Disorderly Barking
• Impersonating a Furry Chimney

But decided to pass....LOL! Moral of the story: make sure you secure your window screens.