Oklahoma Donkey Avoids Arrest but Not Ride in Police Car

— -- An Oklahoma police officer got more than he bargained for when he answered a call Tuesday morning.

Officer Kyle Canaan of the Norman Police Department drove to the outskirts of the city after a woman called police saying there was a donkey on the loose.

"I was called to check an animal at large," Canaan told ABC News. "My primary concern was with the donkey and the people driving down the road. We had to make sure everyone was safe."

Norman is about 20 miles southeast of Oklahoma City.

By the time Canaan got to the rural area, the miniature donkey already had a harness around its mouth.

"It didn’t look like it was in any kind of distress," the officer said.

The woman who called was Robin Strader, and she was standing close to the donkey when Canaan arrived.

Strader told the officer she could care for the animal while its owner was found. The only problem: The donkey didn't fit in Strader's car.

That’s when Canaan took matters into his own hands.

"I had to come up with a way to solve the problem," the officer said. "I said ‘Eh, I can probably fit it in my car.'"

Using animal feed, the officer lured the animal to the back seat of his squad car. The donkey, which they nicknamed "Squishy," fit perfectly in the back seat. Canaan then drove it down the street to Strader's home, where the donkey will stay for now.

"We're still trying to figure out who the owner is so, hopefully, this will help the owner get reunited with it," Canaan said. "It was different I had this situation with the donkey, but it doesn’t surprise me. It’s a one-in-a-career deal."