Law roundup: Chilly dog a cause for concern

A resident grew concerned after they spotted a neighbor’s dog out in the extreme cold and contacted the Kalispell Police Department to see what could be done about the likely chilly canine. Speaking to authorities, the resident said they watched as both neighbors left, leaving the dog in a fenced yard. The pup was limping, they said, likely because of the negative temperatures.

Arriving officers quickly found the dog and confirmed that the house sat otherwise vacant. While the canine, a possible shepherd mix, had an igloo dog house, it lacked bedding. Officers failed to spot any food or water. After a chat with the city attorney’s office, police opted to leave a door notice for the owners and follow up with them later in the day.

A vehicle owner reported receiving a 72-hour notice as did their neighbor. They wanted an officer to explain the reason for the notice.

A release of steam mistaken for smoke caused a bit of a stir in an area neighborhood. A resident contacted authorities alerting them to what they thought was smoke rising from underneath a single story manufactured home. Seeing no flames, they volunteered to go over and evacuate their neighbor, though dispatchers cautioned them to avoid danger. Upon return, the worried resident told authorities the neighbor refused to leave and there appeared to be a colony of feral cats under the home. Arriving authorities found no fire and determined the smoke was, in fact, steam.

The manager of a local business left their laptop and tablet at one of the company’s locations. When she doubled back to grab them, she discovered the bag containing both items had vanished. The laptop belonged to her firm while the tablet was a personal belonging. Upon further investigation, officers determined the potential victim remained unsure where she left the items and lacked any suspect information as well as any access to surveillance footage. The officers, though, did their best to answer her questions about how stolen items end up in pawn shops.

A landlord’s attorney asked for a civil standby for when his client’s former tenants swung by to grab their belongings. The landlord wanted to make sure the one-time renters came and went without damaging any property. According to officers, the past tenants gathered a few personal items and left without damage or conflict.

A fender-bender threatened to lead to personal injury after one of the drivers allegedly grew belligerent. Officers spoke with a woman who told them that after some shouting one of the motorists shoved a person from the other vehicle to the ground. Upon further questioning, it turned out that the woman was reporting the incident on behalf of her son, who was the driver of one of the vehicles. Apparently, the other motorist struck his truck and then tried to instigate a fight with the group traveling in her son’s truck. Otherwise, the damage to the two vehicles was deemed minimal.

Police were asked to check in on a man with a sign asking for money. The caller worried about the man’s wellbeing given the subzero temperatures.

Offices investigated a shattered window at a local business after an individual reported that one or more suspects shot it out.

Police went on the lookout for a man’s missing wife after she failed to return in a timely manner from a shopping trip in Kalispell. The husband said she left Columbia Falls about 11:30 a.m. and called from Kalispell at about noon. She had planned to hit Costco and Bed, Bath and Beyond before visiting with a friend. By 4:06 p.m., he was worried something had happened to her. The man contacted authorities again about 20 minutes later to let them know his better half had gotten in touch and was headed home.