Richard whispered, “Please tell me that’s not Peterson’s dog again.” Emma listened carefully and shook her head. The barking sounded different, deeper and much closer to their bedroom window. Richard cautiously approached the curtains and peeked outside. To his surprise, a large dog was standing near their garden gate, barking at something in the bushes. He immediately stepped backward and called Emma. She looked outside and recognized the animal as belonging to another neighbor several houses away. Apparently, their little neighborhood had developed an entirely new nighttime problem.

Richard suggested they simply close the windows and ignore it. Emma disagreed, insisting that the street needed a proper solution before everyone became exhausted again. She grabbed her dressing gown and walked downstairs. Richard followed reluctantly, wondering whether another dog would soon find itself in their backyard. But this time, Emma had a different plan, and it involved something much more sensible than relocating somebody else’s pet.