A Man Was Wrongly Arrested After He Tried To Stop Animal Control From Taking His Pet Camel

Richmond - An Amelia man was arrested Tuesday after police allege he attempted to prevent animal control officers from seizing his pet camel, Jacob. Stanley R. Holmes Jr., a retired pinball machine repairman, was charged with obstruction of justice and misdemeanor animal cruelty. Animal control officers were investigating a report of a neglected camel and decided to seize the animal on advice from the State Veterinarian’s Office. Caroon said that as officers were arranging for a trailer to transport the camel, Holmes loaded the camel into his own horse trailer and drove away.  “I was never told I could not take the camel,” he said. “I asked the police officer twice if I was being detained. He said no, so I left.” He said police followed him for at least 6 miles before pulling him over. “If I was breaking the law by taking the camel off the property, they should have stopped me when I took the camel off the property — not wait 6 miles,” he said. Holmes also acknowledged that the camel had a medical issue, but he declined to discuss it in detail, citing the pending charges against him. “He was thin, but there’s a very good, valid reason, and all you have to do is go on the Internet and find out why male camels get thin certain times of year.” Holmes said he got his camel 10 years ago after he responded to an advertisement on Craigslist. “I wasn’t really looking for a camel,” he said. “The guy who had him lost his farm and was in a pretty bad situation, and there’s not many people who want a camel.”

I love this whole story. Just a man and his camel. Bonnie and Clyde. There’s so much going on here.

First, I’m very thankful they put in that he is a retired pinball machine repairman. What an awesome job, said 1950. All the rad dudes at the diner waiting for you to show up to fix their pinball machine so they can impress the girls and go steady with them. And let’s face it, you never retire from being a pinball machine repairman, the job kind of just fades into thin air.

Second, about the arrest. The balls on the police to not do an Internet search about why camels are thin. That’s day 1 stuff. Everyone knows male camels are thinner certain times of the year, Jim. Don’t be an idiot.

Third, and maybe most importantly, he didn’t even find the camel, the camel found him. He didn’t go looking for one, just so happened to stumble upon one on CraigsList. I love when that happens. One day I have no idea I want a camel, the next day I have one in my back yard. Happens to regular people all the time. So if you think this guy was abusing his animal, wether by not feeding it, or perhaps worse, throwing a hula hoop over it’s head, you’re insane.