Houdini, you’ll recall, is the world’s greatest escape artist.

But when he was found, Houdini was in trouble. He’d been beaten up by another dog and had a torn eyelid and ear. Like so many homeless dogs in Mexico, he had a contagious condition called sarcoptic mange. Houdini was ugly without his hair.

Kathleen wrapped him in a towel and put him in the back of her truck. As he felt the breeze on his face for the very first time, Houdini was ecstatic. He had definitely found ‘doggy nirvana.’

Because of his contagious condition, Houdini had to be kept from Kathleen’s other dogs. But when she put him in a kennel, Houdini bent the bars and escaped. Kathleen asked a friend to watch him, but to get back 'home,' Houdini broke out of several well made barricades. He was a natural escape artist.

Once recovered, Houdini quickly made his priorities known: home, food, dogs and a fast moving car with the window rolled down. Houdini also showed talent for predicting meal time.

Today, Houdini hones his digging skills (just in case). His favorite spot, of course, is the middle of the front yard flower bed. Ever the showman, Houdini marched in his first parade. Instinctively he put his nose and tail in the air. Houdini is also being certified so he can go to libraries and schools to help young children develop their own performance skills by reading to him out loud.