The plot is likely a play on the real-life story of Leona Helmsley, who bequeathed $12 million to her Maltese, "Trouble," in 2007. Like the dog in the story, Trouble the dog was also pampered by his millionaire owner, which often included feeding him crabcakes.
3 movies are referred to during the episode: Brewster's Millions; Arsenic and Old Lace; and The Maltese Falcon.
It is strange that Chief Taylor doesn't even blink an eye when it is revealed that The police impersonator, "Dick Tracy", is the person responsible for the official police report from the previous case he was involved in... especially when official police reports are supposed to be written by policeman which "Dick Tracy" clearly was not except to trick him into revealing evidence he was holding.
Captain Taylor tells the team that they must solve the case because the dog's owner, Mrs. Brewster, has given a lot of money to the police department. He tells them that he won't lose "Brewster's millions." Coincidentally, "Brewster's Millions" is a 1985 film starring Richard Pryor.
When Provenza has a letter ready for Rusty, Rusty says he doesn't think he's ready for a job in retail security. Being a security guard at a retail store. This is Provenza's exact job he had in the Mannequin movies.