JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
Stray dogs are a regular sight in many U.S. cities. Most fly under the radar, but one dog in New Orleans has made a name for himself for his ability to evade capture at every turn. Matt Bloom with member station WWNO reports.
MATT BLOOM, BYLINE: His name is Scrim. He's a white-haired terrier mutt who's earned the nickname Houdini Dog for his habit of running from authorities. In his most recent escape in November, he jumped out a second-story window to freedom.
(SOUNDBITE OF DOG BARKING)
BLOOM: In this home security camera video, Scrim crashes onto the lawn and wiggles through a slot in the yard's wrought iron fence. Then he sprints out of view down the street. Local authorities first found Scrim in a Louisiana trailer park last year. A New Orleans no-kill shelter called Zeus' Rescues took in the shy, nervous stray and found him a home in April. But he took off through an open door.
DOUG MACCASH: He escaped immediately (laughter). He did not give domesticity a chance.
BLOOM: Doug MacCash is a writer for the Times-Picayune newspaper who's been following Scrim's adventures as he was on the run for six months.
MACCASH: He had this tongue-in-cheek outlaw mystique right from the beginning.
BLOOM: Scrim runs faster than most humans. Treats don't really lure him. He even chewed through a net once after rescuers tried to ensnare in.
MICHELLE CHERAMIE: His story is compelling.
BLOOM: Michelle Cheramie is the head of the Zeus' Rescues shelter. She finally caught him in October this year by shooting him with a tranquilizer dart gun. Then she took him to the vet and found two airsoft pellets lodged in his flesh. It's still not quite clear when he got shot. Cheramie fostered Scrim until his window getaway in November. Now she's trying to find him again.
CHERAMIE: That's what I do. This is my job. So I'm going to do everything until he's brought to safety.
BLOOM: Cheramie says a rescue is necessary because the streets of New Orleans are not safe for a runaway dog.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: All right, Madam Clerk, it is 10 o'clock. Let's go ahead and get started.
BLOOM: Back in October, Scrim was honored by the New Orleans City Council. He was there, freshly bathed and wearing a bow tie. Here's Councilman JP Morrell.
J P MORRELL: When it comes to Scrim and the welfare of animals, I think it's a time in a place where there's a lot of agreement, and it brings people together.
BLOOM: Scrim has brought people together. His escapades are well-documented.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: He's right there. Hi, baby.
BLOOM: Residents have shared sightings of him around town. Many are even leaving food on their porches just in case he stops by. He's actually been caught on a porch cam eating from one of the bowls.
(SOUNDBITE OF BOWL CLINKING)
BLOOM: Michelle Cheramie tells people not to chase Scrim. She says sedating him is the only safe way to catch him. Eventually, she hopes he will end up in a loving home with a tall, fenced-in yard to run around in.
CHERAMIE: We want him to be safe, and we want him to be happy. And so we're going to figure that out once we get him again.
BLOOM: In the meantime, his celebrity continues to grow. There are memes galore, lots of merchandise featuring his mugshot and even an interactive Google map to record sightings of Scrim, the Houdini Dog. For NPR News, I'm Matt Bloom in New Orleans.
(SOUNDBITE OF LADY WRAY SONG SONG, "SWEET LADY") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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