Last Saturday we brought home a 10-month-old puppy, an eight-pound fluff-ball.

On Sunday at 7 a.m., 30 seconds into his first walk, he slipped out of his harness and ran and ran and ran . . . until he got within the barbed-wire fencing of the Inglewood oil fields.

We discovered him cowering under a large bush at 10 a.m.

The next eight hours were spent in fruitless calls to the police and sheriff, equally fruitless pleading with the security forces guarding the oil fields.

We were attempting to find a gap in the fence so that we could get to the poor dog, even if it meant getting arrested.

We found a little sympathy, but no assistance.

However, we had early-on contacted the Friends of Culver City Animals, who gave us help and hope.

Around 5 o’clock, four lovely firefighters showed up, with a key for the oil field gates and (it turned out) considerable experience in catching hold of very frightened dogs.

They surrounded the shrub, cut off his escape routes and, after a couple of near misses, got hold of the trembling creature, who is now lying beside me peacefully.

We had named him “Sam” on Saturday.

At the firefighters’ suggestion, he is now “Houdini.”

So infinite gratitude and heartfelt kudos to the Culver City Fire Dept. and the Friends of Culver City Animals.

Ms. Shuger and Mr. Abbott may be contacted at shuger@gmail.com