Who let the dog out?

The NIU Huskie in charge of guarding the DeKalb Public Library, 309 Oak St., must have been asleep at its post last night or early this morning.

Edith Craig, DeKalb Public Library public relations coordinator, said that during a routine grounds walk through at 8 a.m., maintenance workers discovered the Huskie missing.

When grounds workers made maintenance rounds at the library’s 9 p.m. closing time, the dog was still there, she said. However, by morning it was gone.

“All we could see was a trail from where it’d been dragged down the steps,” Craig said.

The fiberglass painted NIU Huskie sits atop a concrete slab and is fastened by large bolts. Craig said during its installation at the library, four adults struggled to carry the statue, leading her to believe more than one dog-catcher may be responsible.

After discovering the dog-napping, Craig said she called the DeKalb Police Department who is currently reviewing security tapes.

In the meantime, Craig said the dog who always reminded DeKalb, “It’s always the right time to read,” is sorely missed.

“We would just like the dog back, in one piece, if possible,” Craig said. “I mean, it’s pretty hard to hide a dog that size, you can’t miss it.”