MUSCODA - There is something about a dog story that grabs my attention. Perhaps it’s because dogs have been part of my life story, with a few interruptions. When Vi and I moved to Muscoda one of the first things I did was buy a beagle pup from Don Rose of Blue River. We named him “Pica”, fitting for someone working in the printing trade.

Prior to our move here we lived in an upstairs apartment over an abandoned bank building. That came after a couple of years in the military that kept us from having a dog. Pica went with us to our Muscoda shop every day.

This dog tale, written by John Duffey and published in this newspaper in 1981, is about a beagle, owned by a young Muscoda man. Early in the pup’s life it learned a hard lesson – stay off the street. The pup was run over by a car at the corner of 4th and Maple Streets. The accident cost the dog the lower half of one back leg.

The little hound soon learned to travel on three legs and spent his early life chasing rabbits. However, his owner went into military service in the 1940s so a change of ownership was necessary. That worked out well and many Muscoda hunters enjoyed going afield with the beagle as a companion.

The dog became a “community dog” as he wandered about, starting at the cheese factory owned by Ken Meyer and also included Carl Nelson’s gasoline station.

The pup expanded its range to Kirkpatrick’s Cheese Warehouse and found other friends along Wisconsin Avenue who would slip him an occasional tasty morsel. The cheese factory was the dog’s favorite resting place as the workers had treats and kept an old blanket in a back room for him to sleep on.

One day, after a rabbit hunt, the beagle went to the cheese factory for an afternoon nap. As the day wore on the workers left for home, but Ken and a customer were still there. When the beagle wanted out Ken opened a door and watched out a window while talking with the man. He noticed an approaching car had stopped. The driver jumped out of his vehicle, scooped up the beagle, got back behind the steering wheel and took off, going south on County Trunk P.

Ken reacted and was soon in his car, chasing the red tail lights ahead of him. Near what is now the Riverdale School Farm Ken was able to pass the car with the dog and force it off the road. By then of the man from the factory had joined the chase and arrived at the scene, He went to Mac Mueller’s nearby house and called Grant County authorities.

The officer arrived and took the man who had picked up the dog to Lancaster. Later, in court, the man pled guilty to a dog-napping charge, plus drunken driving. The outcome cost the culprit more than $200, plus 30 days in jail.