Pooch Gets Permanent Place at USC

Just down the street from the bronze of noble Tommy Trojan, a statue of a mangy mutt has been erected at USC. It’s a tribute to George Tirebiter (19??-1950), a mascot whose name referred to his fondness for chasing cars.

Tirebiter, who seems to have roamed onto campus one day in the early 1940s and stayed, sat not altogether impassively on the sidelines during football games. Once, he bit UCLA mascot Joe Bruin on the nose, perhaps in retaliation for the time Tirebiter was dognapped and had “UCLA” shaved into his fur. (A sweater that said “USC” was quickly knitted for him.)

Tirebiter’s statue, fashioned by Michael Davis, was a gift of the Bloom family, which includes many USC alumni. Appropriately, the work also consists of three tires topped by a football (see photo).

Tirebiter, by the way, died 56 years ago -- run over by a car he was chasing. One too many whitewalls.

Assorted curiosities du jour: Today’s exhibits include:

* A perhaps-unintentional reminder to speeders in Tehachapi, snapped by Mary Rutter of L.A. (see photo).

* A “Duh!” award winner from Charlotte Fournier of Laguna Woods, who spotted a flowery common-sense warning (see photo).

* A sarcastic comment about marriage, found by Lela Rodriguez of Arcadia (see accompanying).

Police Chase of the Week: It has to be the one involving two women accused of stealing $700 worth of shoes from a La Jolla store, including a $170 pair (size 6). When authorities gave chase, the women allegedly flung the spiky-heeled footwear at the cops before being captured, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

I guess you could call it a sole-less crime.

Weirdest Police Call: The Los Alamitos News-Enterprise recently said officers in Cypress were told that “a guy was eating people on the bus.” It turned out to be a child calling. “When police asked if his mother was there, the child said yes,” the newspaper said, “but wouldn’t give her the phone.”

miscelLAny: I heard a commercial for a discount furniture store in which KFWB-AM (980) sportscaster Bret Lewis said he had personally shopped there and “saved a bundle for my home and office.” The poor guy has to buy his own office furniture? For shame, KFWB.