DUBUQUE, Iowa (CNN/KCRG) -- So this guy tries to go into a bar with a parrot and a zebra. He winds up getting slapped with a charge. Sound like a joke? It's not, it really happened! The animals' owners say it was all a misunderstanding.
For Jerald Reiter and Vickey Teter, having exotic pets in their home is a way of life. Vickey says, "We take them for walks. We take them for car rides and they go and they get the mail with me. They are a big part of the family."
Reiter didn't want to speak on camera but told me he tried to bring the parrot and zebra into the dog house lounge. he says the owner immediately turned them away. So Reiter and the animals returned to the truck. Vickey says, "They were not left alone in the car, not even for a second."
Reiter says other bar patrons were shocked to see the animals so they started snapping pictures. Reiter believes one of those people called police.
The couple understands why the whole thing may have seemed odd to people who are not used to being around exotic animals. Vickey says, "Because it's not every day you see somebody that's got a zebra or a parrot in the house and who knows tomorrow what might be in the house."
Police eventually charged Reiter with Operating While Intoxicated, Reiter disputes that charge. Police say he was driving his truck in the parking lot.
Reiter admits he was behind the wheel but says the truck wasn't in motion.