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Joe Leverette was a dog.

He was the assistant police chief to Chief Howell Leverette in Brundidge until his death in 1943.

The story of Joe Leverette is absolutely true. It began one dreary day in 1932 when a man walked into O.K Ramage with an abandoned pup tucked under his arm. He had no luck finding home for the little pup.

Little Pearson Leverette stood looking at the soft pup and fell in love with him. He asked the man if he would trade the puppy for the gallon of cooking oil for the puppy. The trade was made and the little boy went home and said  his parents, Miss Laura and Mr. Howell,  “Got me a puppy. Sho’ is something ain’t he? I think I’ll call him Joe.”

From there the story of Joe reads like a tall tale but it’s not.

As Pearson grew older, he had less time to spend with Joe. So, the chief began taking Joe to the police station with him and the  chief took  Joe around town and treated him to  Animal Crackers, Dixie Cups of ice cream and hamburger meat at the City Market.

One day the chief was so busy he dropped a nickel on the floor. Joe put the nickel in his mouth with orders from the chief.

“Go get your own cookies!” From that day forward Joe did his own shopping, a nickel  got him Animal Crackers, a dime a Dixie Cup of cream and a pat on the head, a paper sack of hamburger meat the City Market.

When Brundidge was being overrun with rats, big ones, little ones, even wharf rats, the chief set a bounty on rats, five cents for each rat brought to the station in a paper sack. Joe hunted in  abandoned buildings and warehouses with a flashlight in his mouth. When the light caught a rat, Joe would drop the flashlight, render the rat helpless and drop it in the cage the chief had built for just that and collected his reward,

Chief Leverette had an outstanding assistant. Joe could take a bite out of crime. On a man hunt, the chief would take the front door, and Joe, the back door.  Every time, the ‘man” would come out the front rather than tangle with Joe at the back door.

Joe would break up “skins” games deep in the woods and the gamblers stand shaking in their boots because Joe had caught them red-handed.

Joe could sniff out moonshine whiskey buried 10 feet deep. Joe had the best whiskey nose the chief had ever seen.

Joe joined the fire department and made every run. He once pulled a crying little girl’s babydoll from the flame. One night, Joe sniffed a fire at two old maids’ house and barked until they woke up and followed his barking to the door. He rescued a drowning little girl at Watkin’s pond and fought an organ grinder’s monkey.

Joe’s became widely known and was invited to attend FBI school. However, Joe  refused to be the bark person for a famous dog biscuit company. He was happy being Chief Leveret’s  assistant.

In time, Joe went on part time and then, sadly, in 1943,  Joe died. The news of Joe’s death was widespread and reported to The Montgomery Advertiser. Not knowing Joe Leverette was dog, the newspaper printed Joe’s death. People all around were saddened by Joe’s death.

Joe Leverette, is buried on Oak Street in Brundidge. He continues to a local legend.

It’s Halloween, so that’s not the end of Joe’s story. Around Brundidge on Halloween night, there are reports of Joe Leverette’s image in the window of the home he shared with Chief Howell and the sweet aroma of the biscuits Miss Laura baked for Joe’s breakfast. And,  somewhere in the distance there’s the barking of a little pup probably called Joe.

Happy Halloween!