Heroes come in many forms, and some arrive in a pickup. That was the case last week when our dog escaped from the dog park. She’s a rescue from a puppy mill, and she’s a “runner,” as we’ve found in several heart-stopping escapades.

At the dog park, she spotted the space below the large service gates, which she squeezed under as I raced toward her. Runners know how to evade, and she was off down the sidewalk alongside the morning traffic with me in pursuit with leash in hand and heart in my throat.