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It’s all about Yoda.
No, not the “Star Wars” character. We’re talking about the police dog who nabbed escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante in the Pennsylvania woods on Wednesday.
Yoda, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois shepherd, chomped on Cavalcante as law enforcement closed in on the convict, who had spent nearly two weeks hiding from authorities after breaking out of Chester County Prison on Aug. 31.
Authorities said that Yoda, who joined the manhunt as part of a U.S. Border Patrol team from El Paso, Texas, bit Cavalcante on the scalp and thigh. The escapee surrendered soon thereafter.
“I think he [Cavalcante] was in pain at that point. He was probably in excruciating pain,” Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert Clark said after the convict’s capture.
The American Kennel Club describes the Belgian Malinois breed as “confident, smart, hardworking,” with a high trainability level. Brittanica.com notes that the breed “is valued by police departments and militaries for its strength and stamina, its dexterity, its loyalty, and its eagerness to please.”
Clearly, Yoda showed his worth on Wednesday. And he earned himself lots of fans in the process.
On social media and elsewhere, commentators were quick to suggest the pooch deserved special recognition — and maybe a few treats.
Yoda was just doing his job, Clark said, as were other dogs employed in the search effort. “They were just incredible resources,” he said.
