Police took hamster into 'protective custody' after owner accused of impaired driving

Three Beaverton police officers corralled a hamster and took the animal into "protective custody" after the animal's owner, and driver, was accused of impaired driving. Shortly after 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Beaverton officers stopped a vehicle on suspicion that the driver was impaired, said Officer Mike Rowe, a Beaverton police spokesman.

Officers reportedly talked with the driver, whom they identified as Nicole Huey, 27, of Beaverton, Oregon, and found that she had a hamster on her lap. The hamster, whose name is unknown, was loose inside the vehicle and was the only other occupant, Rowe said. Huey reportedly told police she was heading to a local store.



Rowe said Huey got out of her vehicle and left the hamster on the dashboard. Police arrested Huey on an accusation of driving under the influence of intoxicants and she was lodged in the Washington County Jail. Neither Huey nor her hamster was injured during the incident. Huey, Rowe said, told police that she didn't have anyone who could get the hamster, so they "should just kill it." Police told her that the pet would not be harmed, and they would take it to a safe location. "It took three officers to capture the furry little passenger," Rowe said.

"It appeared that the hamster wanted to stay in the vehicle, and it put up a good fight trying to avoid capture." An officer created a container for the animal from an evidence tube and safely transported the hamster to the Emergency Veterinary Clinic of Tualatin. Police, Rowe said, gave Huey contact information for the clinic, and she claimed her pet later that morning.  "A lesson to learn from this incident, other than do not drink and drive, is it is not safe to operate a motor vehicle with any type of animal on your lap," Rowe said.