DUI Dog That Changed Seats With Drunk Owner Joins Colorado’s Doggy Hall of Fame

But designated drivers?

Late Saturday, May 13, police in Springfield, Colorado, pulled over what appeared to be a dog in the driver’s seat of a Dodge — or at least that’s what his owner wanted cops to believe — after the car was caught on radar going 52 mph in a 30 mph zone.

The vehicle, described as a Challenger, was flying down the town’s Main Street, according to authorities.

After making the traffic stop, a Springfield police officer approached the vehicle and watched as a male individual squirmed out from the driver’s seat and switched places with his dog in the passenger seat.

“The male party then exited the passenger side of the vehicle and claimed he was not driving,” the Springfield Police Department said in a Facebook post. “The male party showed clear signs of intoxication and when asked about his alcohol consumption the male party ran from the officer.”

The man did not get far — SPD says its officer apprehended him after a twenty-yard dash before taking him in on DUI charges, resisting arrest charges and other outstanding warrants from Pueblo.

The dog, meanwhile, “does not face any charges and was let go with just a warning,” according to SPD officials. It was given to an acquaintance of the man, cops said.

The pup now joins a long list of extraordinary Colorado canines that have grabbed headlines over the years. This one did not actually get to drive the car, but if it had, it certainly wouldn’t be the first time in the state’s history that a dog took on human roles and responsibilities.

Five more Colorado examples:

Dexter the Bipedal Pup

In Ouray, a dog named Dexter gained internet celebrity status for his ability to walk on his two hind legs. The Brittany spaniel had escaped home one day as a puppy and was hit by a car. One of his front legs needed to be amputated and the other was badly damaged. He used a front-leg wheelchair for a while, until one day his owner placed him at the bottom of the stairs near the porch, and found out that Dexter could make it up the steps on his back legs.

Now Dexter walks around on two paws as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

The talented pup has over one million followers on TikTok and has made many appearances in the media — and earned a shout-out on Jimmy Fallon.

Sometimes he wears a little hat, too.

Parker, the Georgetown Mayor

If a dog can walk on its two hind legs, who’s to say one can’t run for office?

In Georgetown, there’s a Bernese Mountain Dog named Parker who did just that — and is now honorary mayor.

“There is no role too big or too small for a dog to take on,” reads the official Georgetown website. “And Parker set out to prove that when he became the honorary mayor of Georgetown, Colorado on February 11th, 2020.”

Parker dons a pair of glasses and an American flag tie in his online photo with other city officials. He also serves as the official mascot for Loveland Ski Area and as a therapy dog for the Rocky Mountain Village Easterseals Camp. His approval rating is not clear.

Piper, Former Mayor of Divide

A Greater Swiss Mountain Dog named Piper served as the unofficial mayor of Divide, Colorado, from April 2020 until she was replaced by a donkey named Clyde in 2022.

Pirate, Presidential Candidate


Disgraced quiz-show contestant Stoney Jackson landed in Denver in 1980 with his dog, Pirate. Frequently homeless, with the help of the ACLU he sued the city to give the homeless the right to vote; the city settled in 1986, agreeing to allow people without an official address to register to vote by designating a shelter, church or other service agency as their legal residence.

But his real political action was to run his dog, Pirate, for president.

He did not win.

Shep the Turnpike Dog

During construction of U.S. 36 between Denver and Boulder in the 1940s, a stray shepherd began hanging around workers. When the job wrapped up and the workers moved on, the stray (whom the workers named “Shep”) was taken in by the highway’s toll-booth employees.

Shep would greet drivers coming through the toll and even accept money. A memorial for Shep still stands at Zang Spur Park in Broomfield; he’s also remembered by a marker off U.S. 36.