There's no doubt about it, Ping, a Bichon Frise, was very loved by her owner, Mrs Liu,and by the housekeeper, Fran.
She lived the life of a totally pampered pooch in an apartment in West London, being regularly laundered so her hair was a shining white, being fed delicate morsels selected so as not to exacerbate her allergies, and being taken for walks each day in Holland Park where she liked to race through flower beds with Jim and Jack Russell. Mrs Liu had had the good fortune to be widowed early which allowed her to expend her energies on doing very little except making sure that Fran kept Ping in good condition and choosing expensive presents for friends. Ping being stolen while out walking was certainly not part of this rosy picture. After her dog was nabbed, Mrs Liu felt entirely bereft, all she wanted was her little Ping returned. But far from being returned, Ping was cloistered in a darkened garage with other dogs who had either been held until their owners paid a ransom or who were going to be sold. What made matters worse was the presence of a guard dog who growled viciously at anyone who came near her. Ping tried to escape from the unassuming bungalow which housed the stolen dogs and almost failed, it was only with the unexpected help of Labrador puppy, Roger, that they both managed to get away. But the guard dog was let loose to track them down, the beginning of an adventure which had Ping, bedraggled, hungry, frightened and lost. Thus starts another doggy escapade by Otto Vernon, himself a canine, whose skills are designed to appeal to the dotty and dog-besotted of all ages.
