The Cat Burgular

At the beginning of summer when the temperature becomes hot but the trees, grass and scrubs are still vibrant, I met Gary at the Laurel Canyon Dog Park. He was my age, 28, sandy blonde hair, a little taller than me and totally in love with his jet black Doberman, Sheba.

Gary was anything but boring. I quickly learned that he was named Cosmopolitan Magazine’s Bachelor of the Year. 

“I have a copy in my car," he said. "Let me run and get it,” he motioned for his dog Sheba to stay while he headed to his sleek black sports car.

He returned with the well worn magazine, dog eared to the page with his photo, a full page, mind you. Dressed in a black tux, Gary was wearing white gloves and holding expensive pearl necklaces, gold jewelry dripping in diamonds and white gold pieces with colorful precious stones. His dog was in the picture too, standing at attention by his side. The caption read that he had been a notorious Beverly Hills Cat Burglar who was captured after years on the run. He spent time in prison where he became reformed and now worked for police departments throughout LA, inspecting security systems to make sure they were burglar proof.

“Sheba was my look out,” he explained. “I broke into homes and she stayed behind in the car, barking if the police arrived, letting me know it was time to get out of there.” The two were quite a pair, both buff and fearless.