Roof! Roof!: N.Y. Police Rescue Adventurous Dog From Rooftop

Goshen police officers used treats and patience to lure a dog off a house’s roof after the mischievous canine pushed through a window screen and climbed outside.

By Geoff Herbert

Source syracuse.com

April 7, 2026

2 min read

What to know

Goshen police rescued a dog found standing on the roof of a home after a passerby reported the unusual sight on April 1.
Officers confirmed the call wasn't an April Fools’ joke and safely helped the dog back inside using treats after getting permission to enter the home.
Police later said the dog climbed onto the roof by pushing out a window screen, adding that a surprise bird intrusion created additional chaos during the rescue.

Bad doggy! Bad doggy! — Goshen, NY, police needed to use treats to get a dog that ended up on a residential roof last week after pushing out a window screen.

Police rescued a dog on the roof of an Upstate New York house on Wednesday, leading to two big questions: “Is this an April Fool’s Day joke?” and “How did the dog get up there?”

According to the Goshen Police Department, officers were called a home in the Hudson Valley on Wednesday, April 1. It was not a prank.

“Officers really were called for a dog on a roof, and yes, the dog really had to be helped down,” police said in a Facebook post. “We know the timing makes it sound made up, but sometimes the calls we get are just that unusual. The dog is safe and back home.”

According to the Times Union, the dog was a Saint Berdoodle named Gunther who climbed onto the roof while the owner wasn’t home. A driver who passed by the house on Wednesday afternoon called police, who initially suspected it was a gag.

When they realized it was a real issue, police called the homeowner, who was more than an hour away and gave officers permission to enter the house and rescue their pet. New K-9 officer Michael Figueroa told the Albany newspaper that he was able to lure Gunther back inside with the help of some dog treats.

Police invited Facebook commenters to guess how the dog got up on the roof before revealing he “pushed the screen out of the window and climbed onto the roof.” The homeowner told the Times Union that Gunther is a “roof rascal,” suggesting it’s not the first time he’s been up there.

The incident also included some bonus drama. Police said a “random bird” had flown into the house’s open window and allegedly “ransacked” the house and attacked Figueroa before he was able to get it back outside.

“Residents are reminded to secure window screens and monitor pets exhibiting (an) unusual desire to rule the world from above,” Goshen Police wrote on Facebook.

Goshen is located in Orange County, about 30 miles outside of Poughkeepsie. The homeowner was not identified.

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