Wild pony sends Modesto police on a chase

MODESTO -- Modesto police were sent on a wild pony chase Thursday afternoon.

Fortunately for the pony, all turned out well.

At around 12:45 p.m., police responded to a report of a pony running free near Blue Gum Avenue and North Carpenter Road just west of Highway 99.

Police quickly got to the scene, but the pony continued over train tracks and across Ninth Street, through a field and continued north on Clayton Avenue, said Sgt. Garret Crawford.

The pony continued north and then east on West Orangeburg Avenue as up to 10 officers searched the area. At one point, the pony entered into some alleys, officers said.

Police said they never lost site of the equine, instead setting up a perimeter of sorts using patrol cars.

Agriculture students and an instructor from Modesto Junior College were called to the scene to help corral the animal, which they identified as a Shetland pony. They tried to use hay to coax the pony but he was too frightened.

“He was scared from running down an asphalt road with traffic,” said MJC freshman Casey Erickson.

About an hour after the incident began, the horse was cornered in the front yard of a house in the 1300 block of West Orangeburg.

Resident David Melendrez said he was about to leave his house to pick his sister up from school when he looked out his front window and saw the brown, four-legged creature.

“I was in disbelief,” he said.

Moments later, squad cars pulled up and cornered the pony.

Officers told Melendrez to remain inside and stay away from windows, fearing the obviously spooked equine might do a little damage.

Traffic on East Orangeburg between Tully Road and Kearney Avenue was cut off while officers waited for animal control to bring a trailer.

Neighbors emerged from their homes talking quietly with officers and taking pictures.

About a half an hour after the pony’s adventure came to head, an animal control officer arrived with a bucket of food.

The officer stroked the pony’s mane as it munched on hay. He then carefully loaded the pony into the trailer at about 2:30 p.m.

At this point, officers do not know who owns the pony. He was taken to the Stanislaus County Animal Shelter.

Anyone with information about this pony or his owner is encouraged to call the shelter at 209-558-7387.

Bee Staff writer Erin Tracy can be reached at (209) 578-2366.