Most of us humans wouldn’t be excited about the idea of going to prison. However, one lost dog ended up really enjoying his time behind bars as the inmates gave him loads of attention, love, and food.
Soup, a 3-year-old English Setter from Montgomery, Alabama, went out hunting with his owner when he became distracted by some deer. Even though he’s a hunting breed, Soup just took off running and disappeared in the trees – apparently abandoning his owner, Michael Parker, and their mission to track quail.
Both Parker and his wife, Leigh Goyer Parker, spent days searching for Soup, but the dog was nowhere to be found. However, just when they were beginning to give up hope of ever seeing him again, they received an unexpected phone call from the local prison warden.
According to the warden, Soup had arrived at the Kilby Correctional Facility – a mile from their house. Soup, who wasn’t wearing his collar by this point, easily worked his charms with the inmates who were more than happy to share their food with the apparently homeless pooch.
But Soup wasn’t chowing down on standard prison fare. As the Montgomery Advertiser reported, the inmates were properly spoiling Soup to incredible treats like roast beef, chicken tenders, steak, and peach cobbler! And according to The Post, Soup also got to enjoy playing basketball with the inmates, run around on the outside field, and socialize with the prison’s working K-9 officers – quite the vacation!
At the time, the warden didn’t think to have Soup checked for a microchip. The warden only knew that he was found by a maintenance worker looking hungry, and even though he had turned up unannounced, he’d already made a bunch of new friends and seemed to want to stay.
“He was living high on the hog,” Leigh said to The Washington Post.
But when it was discovered that Soup actually belonged to the Parkers, they called them straight away. When Michael arrived at the prison, he whistled for Soup – who was napping in a nearby shed. As soon as he heard his owner, he came running – giving him plenty of doggie love before jumping into the truck’s front seat.
“You absolutely knew that it was his dog,” said Bubba Brooks, the prison worker who first found Soup. “Me and the dog were inseparable for three days, and he wouldn’t even come to me when that man pulled up.”
And while the Parker’s are thrilled to have Soup back, they were also very thankful to the prisoners for taking such good care of their beloved dog.
“We’re going to take him to visit the prison,” Leigh said. “And we’re going to take the warden a pecan pie.”
