The people of Vastogiardi, a tiny town of 600 in the south of Italy, have finally solved the mystery of a series of flat tires over the last few months, and it turns out to be a dog with a bad case of gingivitis. It all started in July, when the town experienced its first intentional tire puncture case in many years. The owner of a car left parked in Piazza Giusto Girardi found it with a punctured tire and called the police. After an inspection of the surrounding area and a brief investigation, no suspects were identified. By the end of October, a handful of similar tire puncture complaints had been registered, all of which occurred in the town square. Rumors of feuds between neighbors and even intimidation by the Mafia began circulating. The mystery of the punctured tires became such a big deal that police set up undercover agents to monitor activity at Piazza Giusto Girardi, hoping to catch the perpetrator in the act. Unfortunately, their attempt at solving the mystery proved fruitless, as no more punctured tires were reported. The next move was to set up surveillance cameras in the square. That’s when a large dog named Bily was captured sinking his teeth into the tire of a parked car. The dog’s owner admitted that her dog had been suffering from gingivitis for some time, adding that she wasn’t aware of his nocturnal adventures. The woman agreed to compensate motorists for damages and to get Bily to a vet to get his dental problem resolved.
