Golden Retriever Surprises His Family by Bringing a Live Armadillo Indoors, and Their Screams Say It All
Golden Retrievers are called Golden Retrievers for a reason - they're very good at retrieving. In most cases, though, we imagine that means a ball or a frisbee we just threw to them... not that they're going to go expertly retrieve a live animal.
So it's no wonder one Golden Retriever's family was so surprised when their dog returned from playing outside with a live armadillo in his mouth... especially since he actually brought his new friend inside the house.
@fox4newsdallasfortworth Golden Retrievers: 10/10 for retrieving, 0/10 for situational awareness Two-year-old Bingo decided to surprise his family in Allen, Oklahoma, by bringing a LIVE ARMADILLO right into the living room. Cue absolute chaos and screaming from Mom and the kids! Shoutout to Mom for using the ultimate weapon-loudly hitting a bucket-to finally get Bingo to drop it. The armadillo ran off into the neighbor's yard completely fine, but Mom's nerves might take a few days to recover.
original sound - Fox4News
A Dallas Fort Worth Fox news affiliate shared footage on TikTok that had been captured by a security camera outside of a family's house.
At first, it just looks like the dogs and kids are playing in the yard... until you realize that 2-year-old Golden Retriever Bingo has a live armadillo in his mouth. No wonder the kids are screaming!
Mom totally panicked at first (who can blame her?) but once Bingo finally listened to her and dropped the armadillo outside, they were all safe. Phew!
Related: Adorable Golden Retriever Looks Like a Fluffy, Buttery Croissant
What to Do If Your Dog Brings Home Wildlife
Being presented with a wild animal - dead or alive - by your pet is hardly the ideal situation, but unfortunately, it does happen. Dogs are very curious, some of them have high prey drives, and sometimes, dogs are just gonna dog.
It's one of those things that is so jarring when it happens that you might be too shocked to figure out how to handle it in the moment, so being prepared to take action is never going to hurt.
According to Tier 1 Veterinary, here's the procedure for when your dog brings home wildlife:
- Separate the animal from your dog. Call them to you, and avoid sudden movements. If you need to actually separate them, it's safer to use something like a shovel and wear something protective (including gloves) to do it than jumping right in while running on adrenaline.
- Check your dog for injuries. If you spot any, it's a good idea to bring your dog in to see their vet, especially if you can see they've been bitten or wounded in some way.
- Keep an eye on your dog. You'll want to act quickly if you notice any signs of an illness, like an infection from an injury or rabies symptoms.
- Call local wildlife authorities if necessary. Never be afraid of overreacting - the professionals want to know if any wildlife is acting unusual in your area.
If it happens to be an armadillo like Bingo's new friend, you'll want to be extra careful. As Critter Control points out, armadillos can carry leprosy - not something you want to mess with without your vet's help, so you may want to make an appointment for your dog to be seen ASAP just to be sure.
Fingers crossed your dog doesn't actually bring their catch inside your house like Bingo did. That must have been the most stressful moment!
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This story was originally published June 10, 2026 at 2:42 PM.