To the Editor:

My husband and I (residents of Princeton for 56 years) had offered to dog sit for our neighbors while they visited their children and grandchildren over the Thanksgiving weekend. We had been forewarned that their dog had gotten loose from his collar during a walk in the neighborhood the week before, and we were given the names of neighbors who had dogs and knew their dog, Clive, as well as the number of the police who they suggested we contact should we have this unfortunate experience while walking him.

I sent pictures of the calm and happy dog sitting in our house after a walk before I took him home again, trying to assure his owners that all was well. Unfortunately, during one of the visits to our house, my husband inadvertently opened our porch door and Clive was out in no time (we thought our garden was perfectly fenced in!). Right away, I was contacting all our neighbors and had called a most friendly dispatcher at the police department to explain our dilemma. In no time, neighbors were ringing our doorbell about where Clive had been sighted and were out searching for him, though they knew Clive was “treat aversive.” Golfers from the Springdale Golf Club also joined the search.

The hero of this tale is Travis Hall, whose kind and loving parents have always raised rescue beagles, and Travis has become known as the “neighborhood dog whisperer.” Right away, Travis was out with his dog Renzo and from somewhere Clive came running to see his friend Renzo and made our day and that of our neighborhood. We now have a new name for Clive, “Houdini!”

It is wonderful to live in such a neighborhood and have such a friendly police department, and we say, “thank you to you all.”

Norma and Stewart Smith
Ober Road