NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — The New Orleans Police Department now has a new one-eyed, miniature horse, named “Patch,” now part of its Mounted Unit.
Giddy up! Here comes “Patch” the horse!
“Patch is a new addition to the mounted unit, he’s a little mini horse,” Capt. Lejon Roberts with NOPD’s Mounted Unit said.
With his saddle ready, now reporting for duty is 15-year-old, three-foot tall Patch, who gets his name because he only has one eye.
“Patch was born with a birth defect, so at birth, they removed the eye,” said Cops 8 President Jessica Dietz.
He’s here to stirrup some emotional support for the other horses and officers as their mascot.
“To be a nice, calming presence in the barn and for the officers, and ties the community and mounted division unit,” Dietz said.
The Mounted Unit hasn’t had a miniature pony on the force since before Hurricane Katrina, and he comes to New Orleans from a breeder on the North Shore with the generous help of the non-profit, Cops 8, which helps support officers in the 8th District.
Fellow officers feel Patch’s horsepower!
“Everyone asks for Patch. He’s become an overnight celebrity. He has his own Facebook and Instagram page,” Roberts said.
Like a horseshoe, the NOPD feels lucky to now have Patch on the squad.
“Everyone loves Patch,” Roberts said.
The NOPD is hosting its annual, “Horses, Hops, and Cops” on Wednesday, Jan. 31 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the horse stables in City Park to raise funds for the Mounted Unit.
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