Abandoned ‘dog’ turns out to be toy reindeer: ‘Santa’s reindeer resting after a test flight’

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Published  November 24, 2025 5:28pm CST
FOX Local

FILE - Toy reindeer mistaken for an abandoned dog in the U.K. (Credit: Matlock, Cromford, Wirksworth and Darley Dale Police SNT) 

The Brief

    • Derbyshire police responded to reports of an abandoned dog but found a toy reindeer instead.
    • Officers joked it was one of Santa’s reindeer resting after a test flight.
    • They said the toy got a "stern talk" for showing up too early in November.

A "dog" that was believed to be abandoned and tied to a post in the United Kingdom ended up being something less nefarious than expected. 

Local perspective:

Police in Derbyshire received several calls for an abandoned "small, bully-type dog" on the side of the road last week.

When police went to investigate, they were surprised to find, not a dog, but a toy reindeer.

Police joked and shared on Facebook that one of Santa’s reindeer was "resting after a test flight" over the area.

What they're saying:

"After being given some stern words about being seen in the middle of November, officers left the fella to his break," according to a Facebook post on the Matlock, Cromford, Wirksworth and Darley Dale Police SNT account.

The Source: Information for this article was taken from the Matlock, Cromford, Wirksworth and Darley Dale Police Facebook account. This story was reported from San Jose. 

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