|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Pleasanton police responded to an uncommon “emu-gency” situation after receiving a call about a stray emu wandering in west Pleasanton on Friday afternoon.
-
Pleasanton police responded to calls about a stray emu wandering in a west Pleasanton neighborhood Nov. 6. (Courtesy image) -
Pleasanton police responded to calls about a stray emu wandering in a west Pleasanton neighborhood Nov. 6. (Courtesy image) -
Pleasanton police responded to calls about a stray emu wandering in a west Pleasanton neighborhood Nov. 6. (Courtesy image)
Reports about the large, long-necked avian spotted in the Preserve neighborhood, just west of Foothill Road, came in shortly before 3:30 p.m. that day.
“This was called in by several residents, as the emu was sitting in the front yard of a residence off of Blessing Drive” Pleasanton Police Department Lt. Kurt Schlehuber told the Weekly.
Fortunately for Animal Services Officer Frankie Ayers and Community Service Officer Amy Martin, who put their roping skills to use and successfully lassoed the giant land bird before binding its feet, emus are the second-largest bird by height but incapable of flying, according to National Geographic.
Officials also commended Ayers and Martin for keeping the emu calm after its capture.
The emu was “in safe hands waiting to be re-connected with its rightful owner at the @ACSOSheriffs shelter” Friday evening and eventually claimed during the weekend.
One person on social media joked that law enforcement couldn’t press charges because the flightless bird “had diplomatic emu-nity.”
It was the second time in recent months that local police have responded to an unusual avian incident. In August, Pleasanton police and firefighters rescued a barn owl caught in a kite string near Hansen Park.
New retail, dining options coming to Stoneridge Shopping Center later this yearApril 19, 2026 9:24 pm
