New Orleans police welcomes adorable one-eyed miniature horse as new recruit

Officers at the New Orleans Police Department have an adorable sidekick: a one-eyed miniature horse.

The animal was gifted to the department's mounted unit. 

The department shared video on January 19 showing Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick overjoyed to receive the surprise gift of a new addition to her team. 

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Kirkpatrick also named the new recruit "Patch."

"Not only will Patch be the superintendent’s friend and the unit’s new one-eyed mascot, he also has a very important job – being a companion to the other horses, reducing their anxiety and relieving boredom," police said.

Storyful contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.