There's never a dull moment at Hounds Hideaway, a pet resort in Arkansas, especially when its most mischievous pup, Chloe Joy (CJ), is in the building. Then one day, she pulled off her most brazen caper yet, "jailbreaking" an entire herd of dogs from their playroom in front of a security camera.
In the seven years that CJ has been attending Hounds Hideaway, she's developed a reputation as its sweetest troublemaker. While the rescued treeing walker coonhound can be mellow at times, she's known for being curious and smart, especially when there's human food around.
"[Her breed's] got the beagle nose that is always looking for a snack, but they've also got the bigger body and long legs to go with it, and Chloe Joy definitely knows how to use them both!" Hounds Hideaway owner Lacey Vance said.
Her big escape came when staff members were briefly occupied at the front of the building. They believed all the pups, including Chloe Joy, were safely secured in their playrooms. But CJ had caught a whiff of some food in the break room and decided to investigate.
Without skipping a beat, the curious pup stood on her hind legs, pushed the gate's latch with her nose, and triumphantly led her friends towards the food. Staff members were shocked when they returned to the back seconds later and saw a herd of dogs racing from room to room.
Thankfully, the building was secure, so none of the dogs could get outside. Still, staff members had to scramble to round them up. As they herded the pups back to the playroom, they already had a sneaking suspicion about who had orchestrated the great escape, and the security footage soon confirmed it.
"We could not have been LESS surprised that Chloe Joy was the instigator," Vance said. "[She's] a known offender!"
It was Chloe Joy's biggest prank yet, earning the top spot on her long list of memorable hijinks. But when staff told her owner, her human "mom," what had happened, she seemed anything but surprised.
"Her mom's response to being told about it was, 'Why is my child always the ringleader!'" Vance said.
Chloe Joy's antics keep her caregivers at Hounds Hideaway on their toes. And while they wish she would pull a few fewer stunts at daycare, they still love her dearly either way.
"We adore her (and the humans who rescued her) and love being part of her life," Vance said.