The Special Pooch

The Special One was arrested and detained briefly by London Police n Monday, 14 May 2007, for obstruction of justice. Quarantine officers from the Animal Health and Welfare Service had turned up at his £5 million home in Central London to seize his pet, a Yorkshire terrier, but he purposely let the pooch loose to run away.

The 44-year-old Portuguese told the officer that he had to make a mobile call, then went outside with the tiny animal under his arm. When he returned, it was nowhere to be seen and he told the dog warden and two policemen that it had run away.

The Special One was held for obstructing the police and was taken to a West London police station where he was cautioned. The UK's national database is now richer with a set of his Special Fingerprints and a sample of Special DNA.

Meanwhile, dog wardens spent a day roaming the streets and local parks for The Special Pooch without success – until sources at Chelsea announced that the dog had, miraculously, turned up "safe and well".

Someone from the football club said there had been a misunderstanding of documentation required for veterinary regulations, claiming the dog was bought in England from a reputable breeder and had been given all its necessary inoculations.

But the problem is far from being over. The City of London Corporation, responsible for animal welfare, made it clear that the corporation was still investigating an alleged breach of the Animal Health Act 1981 and the Rabies Order 1974. A spokesman said: "Our main concern is to find and detain the dog pending our inquiries."

The investigation was launched after a vet tipped off the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, suspecting the dog had been taken abroad and brought back into the country without the health checks demanded under the EU’s pet passport scheme.

Animals are allowed to travel if they have been microchipped, vaccinated against rabies, blood tested six months later to check they are clear, and wormed 48 hours before travelling.

If The Special One is found to have breached the pet passport rules, he could still be prosecuted and the dog put in quarantine for six months. He could face an unlimited fine or up to 12 months in prison if he is found to have breached anti-rabies laws.