I haven't had time to post this until tonight. I heard back from the
dog walking establishment...I had sent them a long letter detailing what
I had pieced together about the events of last Thursday, when (for the
benefit of those coming in late) I almost lost Peanut when he got loose
while being walked.

First of all, the dogwalker was _not_ walking the dogs with his bicycle.
He had locked it across the alley from my building, I'm guessing on a
metal fence that's there. He was returning with the dogs and, being
about 50 feet or less from the door, stopped to unlock his bike, when
two guys jumped him and tried to steal the bicycle, releasing the dogs
to create confusion. Maggie and Buddy had the good sense to hang
around, while Peanut got spooked and ran off. The dog walker ran after
Peanut trying to get him back, but lost him after a couple of blocks and
brought the other two dogs back.

They filed a police report and I asked them to let me know if the police
ever found the guys. I'm feeling a little creeped that the whole thing
happened on my street in broad daylight. And I found that that one day
this week, one of the guys doing construction on the building came
inside to ask the front desk clerk something, and when he went back
outside someone had stolen the drill he had been using. Scary. I
haven't worried about walking around this neighborhood in years. I hope
I'm not going to have to start.
--
Kevin Michael Vail* * | I would rather have a mind opened by wonder
* * * | than one closed by belief. * -- Gerry Spence

On 2008-07-11 19:35:36 -0400, Kevin Michael Vail said:

I haven't worried about walking around this neighborhood in years. I hope
I'm not going to have to start.

I'm sorry this happened in your neighborhood. I'm afraid it's fairly
commonplace.

I'm particularly glad that you suspended judgement until you had heard
the full story.