VERGENNES — Vergennes police on July 4 went off the beaten track to help a dog owner retrieve a pet that had fled from a Comfort Hill home when frightened by holiday fireworks.
Police received a call that a possibly injured dog was behind the Otter Creek falls, and an officer climbed over rocks and behind the falls to help calm the animal and reunite it with its owner.
In other incidents between July 2 and 8, Vergennes police:
On July 3:
•  Calmed a distraught elderly woman sitting inside city hall and persuaded her to accept a ride home to her care facility.
•  Helped a motorist to get into a locked vehicle on Walker Avenue.
•  Determined that an East Street woman’s report was false that her daughter had stolen a checkbook and other items, but acknowledged that it was missing and told her to let police know if checks were written on the account.
•  Did a background check of candidates for the vacant post of Bristol police chief.
•  Took a call from Boston from a family friend of an elderly Walker Avenue resident who was in the process of buying an air conditioner. The caller said the man might need help installing it, and was also worried about the heat if it were not installed. Police said they called Aubuchon Hardware and other sources to arrange for help.
On July 4:
•  Checked the welfare of an elderly Main Street resident because of the heat; police said he was fine.
•  Accepted a dealer license plate that a citizen found on Route 7 and notified the dealer to pick it up.
•  Were told of fireworks being set off near Sunset Drive, but could find no problem.
On July 5:
•  Tried on behalf of Vermont State Police to find a suicidal woman in Waltham, but could not find her.
•  Determined a report of suspicious drug activity on Hillside Drive was false.
•  Responded to a report of a domestic dispute in the Shaw’s Supermarket parking lot; the couple involved insisted the argument was not physical, police said.
On July 6:
•  Checked the welfare of a Vergennes resident after his wife said he was a no-show at an appointment in West Danville; the man told police he worked late and overslept.
On July 7:
•  Searched unsuccessfully for a man reported to have been looking into cars on Mountain View Lane and walking up a driveway.
•  Helped Vermont State Police by trying to find a man reported to be driving a PT Cruiser on Route 17 in Addison while naked; New York police stopped him and said he was clothed.
•  Worked with Rutland police to have them cite Kiara Derusha, 19, of Rutland for retail theft. City police said she was involved with a family member in the June 18 theft of office supplies, a camera and other items from the Kinney Drug Store in Vergennes. 
•  Calmed an elderly North Street woman having anxiety issues.
On July 8:
•  Helped the Vergennes Area Rescue Squad on Route 7.
•  Responded to a report of a man’s ex-girlfriend’s brother following him in a car. Police could not find the vehicle, but advised the caller to obtain a restraining order on the girlfriend and to report any future approaches by her brother, who the caller was concerned could be armed.