(LaPorte, IN) - A LaPorte County Police officer played cowboy in returning several farm animals running loose in the dark to safety.

           

The actions of Deputy Keith Waltz went unnoticed until the owners returned and watched him on surveillance video round up their two horses, a donkey and two goats.

 

His efforts were recognized during Wednesday’s meeting of the LaPorte County Sheriff Merit Commission meeting.

 

“It’s reassuring to the public that our deputies are doing the right thing even when nobody else is seemingly watching,” said LaPorte County Sheriff John Boyd.

 

The animals were about a block away from their pasture in the 8400 block of S. 600 West when Waltz on July 27 pulled up

 

Boyd says Waltz was leading  one of the horses back home when the other animals forming “a straight line” behind them followed.

 

They were back inside the fence when Waltz locked the gate and quietly went on his way.

           

The animals belong to Dustin Erwin and his family who were two hours away on a camping trip when the animals wandered off apparently through an unsecured gate.

 

After returning home, Erwin said nothing seemed out of the ordinary until watching the video from his home security system and the officer escorting his animals popped up on the screen.

 

Erwin then contacted the sheriff to request the deputy be recognized for actions he felt went above his normal duties.

 

“Had we not had the cameras out, we wouldn’t have known what happened and that the police did that,” he said.

 

In his letter of commendation, Boyd told the officer “we’ve said a number of times to our staff assume you are being recorded at all times. In this case you were and you got caught doing the right thing.”