CMPD officers herd, catch un-wooly sheep running around Charlotte park
East Charlotte residents who spotted a sheep running around a park on Friday may have thought someone was trying to pull the wool over their eyes, but that wasn’t the case.
A sheep really was on the loose, said Melissa Knicely, spokesperson at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control office, and two CMPD officers had to quickly become shepherds.
One officer spotted the sheep near Briarwood Academy on Wilann Drive while patrolling the area, an email from Knicely said.
“I was close to capturing it, but it ran back toward the park area,” the officer was quoted as saying. “I circled around the park and the adjacent neighborhood but was unable to locate it. As I was exiting the school property, I spotted the sheep again as it was about to run into traffic. “
Another officer nearby also saw the sheep and got out to help. The pair were able to catch the sheep after herding it into a fenced area, Knicely’s email said.
“The sheep is now safe and being housed in the barn at the Animal Care & Control main shelter on Byrum Drive,” Knicely said in an email. “There was no identification or microchip, so at this time the sheep is considered a lost sheep.”
The shelter can be reached at 704-336-7600.
Observer reporter Joe Marusak contributed.
This story was originally published March 13, 2026 at 4:22 PM with the headline "CMPD officers herd, catch un-wooly sheep running around Charlotte park."
