Oklahoma City: Police Give Donkey A Lift In Patrol Car *** Officer Kyle Canaan thought the animal would be safer in his squad car - but things didn't go so well once it was in the vehicle.

Norman Police Department posted the picture on its Facebook page

Police in Oklahoma have given a donkey a lift in their patrol car after rescuing the roaming animal.

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Officers in Norman, just southeast of Oklahoma City, responded to a report that the animal was on the loose on Tuesday morning.

Officer Kyle Canaan managed to round up the donkey but felt he had no choice other than to put it into his vehicle in order to keep it safe.

Norman Police Department's Facebook account later posted the picture taken at the time and released a statement explaining what had happened.

The statement said: "Our officers encounter unexpected things every day while on-duty.

"This morning, Officer Kyle Canaan responded to a call regarding a donkey on the loose in the 8100 block of 120th Avenue NE.

"To ensure the safety of the animal, he helped transport the donkey to a nearby home for safe keeping until its owner could be located.

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"It's not everyday that you see a donkey in the backseat of a police car!"

Sarah Jensen, Norman Police Department's public safety information officer, told the Oklahoma Daily newspaper that Officer Canaan thought it would be safer to put the donkey into the back of the vehicle rather than let it wander.

She said: "He believed he could fit the donkey into the back of his squad car, so he did."

The officer later told the newspaper he managed to lure it in with some food.

But, once inside his vehicle, things didn't go so well, with the donkey defecating during the short journey.

Officer Canaan told the newspaper: "It was a huge mess in the back, huge mess."

He dropped the donkey off at a pen where it will be kept until it is claimed or animal control comes to collect it.

In the meantime, Norman Police Department said it is seeking the donkey's owner.

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The image posted on the police department's social media sites has since gone viral and been shared thousands of times.

Sky