In this space last week, I recalled that when I was mayor back in the 1960s, the village board hired a full-time “dog-catcher” by the cool name of Hamden “Ham” Fitcher, and what a great job he did with meager resources. Looking for material for this week’s column, I find this story about Ham and a dog that had been shot; and probably because of Ham’s caring and gentle ways survived. Following are excerpts from The Enterprise story of Wednesday, Nov. 27, 1968:

“Ranger, a 4-year-old male setter belonging to Wes Manchester of 4 Elm St. is celebrating Thanksgiving in a recovery kennel at the Lopez Veterinary Hospital [150 River Street] and extremely thankful to be alive.

“The red and white dog was operated on yesterday for five gunshot wounds which entered the neck, hind quarters and abdomen. Only one bullet, a 30-calibre, was found in the dog during the operation.

“Ranger was let out of the house on Monday morning at 9:30 and apparently just kept going since his master was not there to call him back. At 11:30 Monday morning the police received several calls reporting a badly wounded dog on Bloomingdale Avenue running toward Park Avenue.

“The Saranac Lake Village Police immediately notified dog warden Ham Fitcher to circle the area and locate the bloodied animal if possible. The dog warden has a red patrol station wagon with emergency 2-way radio hookup.

“The patrol car centered its efforts on the streets adjacent to Bloomingdale Avenue and finally found the setter, weakened but still able to run, on Margaret Street, a few hundred yards from its home.

“Ranger was overtaken near the Garwood residence [24 Cedar St.] and with a leash and some coaxing was helped into the station wagon.”

“The warden immediately drove to the veterinary hospital where Ranger was taken in, sponged off, too weak to object. His wounds were located and the bullet areas shaved and disinfected before he was given blood and x-rayed. He was operated on for muscular and visceral repairs and removal of lead. He was then let to rest for the night.

“Mr. Fitcher, who was concerned about the animal visited the dog several times Monday and Tuesday having aided in the emergency effort with Dr. Lopez.

“This morning he was well on the road to recovery. When he gets home he will have a share of the family turkey but the mystery of who shot the dog will probably remain just that on the police blotter.”

[There was no byline on the story but it has my old pal Bill McLaughlin written all over it. The colorful detail –“the bloodied animal weakened but still able to run” … my best recollection of Bill’s clever prose was in the obituary of his friend Monroe (Monk) Flagg, a well known bobsledder. “He’s through Shady and gone.” Shady was the biggest curve on the bobsled run.