You’ve heard stories about how someone swipes a neighbor’s garden gnome and takes it on vacation, photographing the gnome at various sites and sending the pictures to the owner.

Something similar happened in Council Bluffs. Police Captain Terry LeMaster says a concerned citizen called police about a man dressed in a hot dog costume near a school bus stop, so officers were dispatched.

“What they found was a six-foot hot dog statue and nobody was around to claim it so it had to be taken into custody,” Captain LeMaster says. The statue is wearing high-top sneakers and the arms are missing. LeMaster says the giant weiner’s appearance remains a mystery, one they’re pursuing with relish.

“To be frank with you, no pun intended, the hot dog just isn’t talking to us, no matter how much we grill it,” he says. There have been sightings in other parts of the city as well. LeMaster says it’s not an isolated incident as the Hot Dog Man has apparently been traveling across the nation.

“We’re getting tips from all over the country that this particular hot dog has been seen all over,” he says. “We’re trying to see who it belongs to and hopefully, they can get it back.” LeMaster says none of the callers claimed ownership.

By Karla James