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Newspaper Clipping - Newspaper Clipping Scan - Eagan PD honors Thomas - 5/15/2001 Police honor woman who nabs animals on the lam(5/15/2001) Page 1 of 3 <A D V E R T I S E M E N T> It!___ i 1 "Di. t FINp_A CS 0 FIND A CAKERjfl►FIMD A H©M _TWifli IftSoCal __. Published: Tuesday, May 15, 2001 STORY OPTIONS -E-mail to a friend click Here! - Print this article Eagan Today's Pioneer see all Press Police honor woman who nabs %is week's, PioneerPlanet:front animals on the lam 91 News Business s oo Ranch owner gets award for roundups Entertainment Travel AMY SHERMAN STAFF WRITER Vulues Livin Tech at your Healt h Carol Thomas was in the bathtub one winter night Water Cooler about 20 years ago when her husband, Jerry, told . Special Reports Classified Ads her they'd been summoned to help capture some Site index loose animals. "Hurry up," Jerry said. "You're not going to believe this one." A truck holding 80 pigs had flipped over on . Minnesota 13 in Eagan and the animals were going hog wild. The runaways weighed up to 350 pounds - and had big teeth. It took hours to get the pigs into a truck. "We did discover it would not work to try to herd them with a police car," said Carol, who owns the Diamond T Ranch in Eagan. Jerry practically had to ride the first pig into the truck, and the rest eventually followed. Only two oinkers got away. At one point Carol told her husband that she couldn't believe she was out catching pigs with her hair frozen in strings and no makeup. "Jerry was looking at me, covered with pig (doo), and said, 'Who do you think is paying attention?' " Today, Thomas will receive a certificate of http://www.pioneerpress.com/news/mtc_docs/031139.htm 5/15/2001 Police honor woman who nabs animals on the lam(5/15/2001) Page 2 of 3 commendation from the Eagan Police Department for years of helping catch animals on the lam. The public ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. at City Hall. Eight police officers also will receive awards. Department staff members nominated individuals for awards, which were approved by a review board. Thomas has helped catch loose horses, a sheep at Rosemount High School sporting a painted shamrock(a senior prank) and an animal her family nicknamed Sidney the Dancing Steer because while tied to a rope he would stand up and dance on his hind legs. Police call on Thomas because she has the ability to board and transport the animals (for which she receives a fee). In a city where housing subdivisions have replaced farms, Thomas and others at the ranch are among few folks left in Eagan with experience handling farm animals. Although the calls to Thomas often come when she's asleep, the pair of dispatchers who nominated her say she is always chipper. "She She has really sacrificed her own time several times with no grumbling or complaining," said Kathryn Falk. Thomas says her family deserves to share the award because they have also helped. Jerry died in 1999. The animal tales are entertaining after the fact, but "none of them are funny until they're caught," Thomas said. Horses and other animals on the loose could get injured or cause injury to others or property. Thomas has some advice for drivers who come across loose animals: Honking and flashing your lights can scare animals, so it's better to move slowly, avoid the animals and alert the police. Amy Sherman,who covers Eagan,Inver Grove Heights and Rosemount,can be reached at asherman(kpioneerpress.com or(651)228-2174. Cops recognized An Award of Merit, the higher honor, is for http://www.pioneerpress.com/news/mtc_docs/031139.htm 5/15/2001 Police honor woman who nabs animals on the lam(5/15/2001) Page 3 of 3 outstanding self-initiated work or long-term exceptional performance and dedication to the department and community. A Certificate of Commendation is for an achievement above the normal call of duty. Award of Merit . Officer Pat Hogan for commitment to apprehending impaired drivers. • Detective Dan Mason for diligent service to the Eagan Tactical Team. Certificates of Commendation: . Community Service Officer Susan Hitchens for locating evidence that led to successful prosecution of suspects in a robbery. . Officer Brian Remy for saving a life by using an automatic defibrillator on a victim. . Officer Jim Thielen for his role in handling much of the Eagan Tactical Team's planning and operations. . Officer Paul Tupy for leading the department in officer- initiated calls. . Officer Robert Wegner for saving family members during a fire in their garage by waking and evacuating them. Help News Archives . Officer Thomas Fadden for talking a suicidal Feedback male who was threatening to jump off the Cedar Avenue bridge away from imminent danger. Back to Top O 2001 PioneerPlanet/St.Paul(Minnesota)Pioneer Press/TwinCities.com-All Rights Reserved copyright information http://www.pioneerpress.com/news/mtc_docs/031139.htm 5/15/2001