A family near the corner of Monterey Blvd and El Verano Way experienced every pet owner's nightmare when Jenny — described as a tan, small, and delightfully chubby chihuahua — made a break for it and vanished into the neighborhood. The family put out an urgent call to the community, and in true San Francisco fashion, neighbors rallied.

The good news: Jenny has been found and is back home safe.

The family noted they've had a rough stretch of luck with their dogs recently and pledged to take extra precautions going forward. Can't blame them. If you've ever watched a determined chihuahua spot an open door, you know that no amount of planning fully accounts for their raw escape velocity.

Here's what we actually love about stories like this: no city agency needed to intervene. No task force was convened. No $2 million study was commissioned to assess the chihuahua flight risk. Neighbors just… helped. People looked out for a small dog and a stressed family because that's what communities do when they're functioning the way they're supposed to — voluntarily and without a line item in the municipal budget.

It's a reminder that the real backbone of any city isn't its government programs; it's the people who notice a lost dog poster and actually keep their eyes open on their evening walk. San Francisco gets a lot of deserved criticism around here, but credit where it's due: when a neighbor's chunky chihuahua goes AWOL, this city shows up.

Welcome home, Jenny. Maybe stay off the lam for a while.