The Nevada Highway Patrol gets a lot of calls about animals on the loose on the highway. Often troopers have to capture the furry creatures before Animal Control shows up.
"You never know why [animals] are where they are, but it's our duty to protect them just like people," said Chelsea Stuenkel from NHP.
The task can be dangerous. Aside from traffic concerns, troopers lack the equipment for capturing the animals and often get bit.
"It is kind of humorous because we say we have a canine in custody or a feline in custody, but it can be a very dangerous situation," said Stuenkel.
Recently, some troopers have been equipped with canine catch poles. They've also received specialized training. The department has 20 so far, but they hope to make them standard issue.
