I’ve loved living in Shadow Hills in the Catalina Foothills area of Tucson from the day we moved in when some of our new neighbors came over to introduce themselves and brought us some home made chocolate chip cookies. In the 13 years we’ve lived here, I’ve come to know most of the people who live on our street and many others throughout the 500 home subdivision. The many people who walk, run and bike through the winding streets never fail to greet one another. The neighborhood is a pleasant mixture of families and retired folks. All of the homes look different from one another and are on approximately an acre of land which by deed restriction must maintain natural desert landscaping in all visible areas.
On Saturday night I met a new neighbor to whom I will be eternally grateful. My husband and I had invited some friends for dinner. When they arrived, one of our two dogs, a Beagle, ran outside to greet them and then made a run for it into the desert. Before we knew it she was nowhere to be found. We searched for her by car and on foot asking everyone we saw along the way to keep an eye out for her. While driving around, one person we spoke with said she was about to take her dog out for a walk and would help look. I told her where we lived and a short while later she and her dog Charlie (a Bloodhound!) came to our home asking if we had something with our Beagle’s scent on it. I brought out the dog’s bed, Charlie took a whiff of it, and they were off.
We gave up looking after about an hour because it was almost dark. I decided to print up flyers to put around the neighborhood with the hope that someone would find her. Although she had on a collar and was microchipped, she lost her tag recently and I had not yet replaced it so whoever found her wouldn’t know where she belonged. My husband also put up a notice on our neighborhood list serve. My biggest concern was how she would fare with the wildlife in the area. Several neighbors have had incidents in the last couple of months where their small dogs (one a Beagle) had been attacked by bob cats coming over their backyard walls. We also have frequent sightings of coyotes and javelinas (wild pigs) who have been known to attack domestic pets. Needless to say, I was very concerned for her safety.
As I was getting into my car with the “Lost Dog” posters, I looked up and there was Charlie, and my new favorite neighbor, with our lost Beagle. They found her lying on someone’s porch, many streets away. The most amazing part of this great neighbor tale (tail?) is that Charlie’s handler was headed for Fresno the next day for a week-long class so that Charlie could be trained to be a pet finder! As I thanked them profusely, my wonderful neighbor kept thanking me for the opportunity to help. I know Charlie has a great future ahead of him. He’s obviously a natural. Thank you again dear Charlie and friend. You’re truly great neighbors!
