About 20 locals felt the Christmas spirit last week when they teamed up to rescue a stray dog that had been evading the city's animal control officer for several months.

Concerned about how the dog might survive the winter, Nancy Fielden had set up a shelter with straw bedding several weeks ago in a yard where the dog was regularly seen. She also put out warm water and food to entice the dog to accept humans.

"It took about three days for her to use the bedding," Fielden said.

As the weather turned bitterly cold in early December, Fielden set up straw bales to shelter the dog from the arctic wind.

The city first became aware of the dog several months ago when it was reported wandering around Big Mountain Road. Soon after it moved into the U.S. 93 West and Karrow Avenue neighborhood, concerns were raised about the dog wandering across the busy highway and causing a motor-vehicle accident.

The dog was too quick and too jittery for the animal control officer to handle on his own, so the police OK'd a citizen rescue on Dec. 18. An attempt to trap the dog in a fenced yard, however, failed when the dog leaped the fence and took off down the alley.

But 20-some people proved too much for the dog, which was tracked down to an outdoor staircase at a nearby residence. DuAnn Craig, a volunteer with the Spay & Neuter Task Force with rescue experience, used a catch-pole to snag the dog and bring him out.

Fielden said the dog growled a little but otherwise didn't resist.

"Once we got her out, she licked my hand," Fielden said. "She wanted to be my buddy for a long while."

Ryan and Lola Zinke had seen the dog in their neighborhood for several weeks and joined in the rescue operation. Ryan said he filled in a hole in his fence line to block the dog's escape

"There's a lot of good people in this town," he said about the rescue.

The dog, either an Australian shepherd or a chow-golden retriever mix, depending upon who one was asking, and possibly five years old, was taken to Whitefish Animal Hospital, where it got bathed, shots, a check-up and a name — Spirit. Other than an injured rear left leg and an ear infection, Spirit was in good condition.

Fielden had an owner lined up for an "interview" on Saturday to see how Spirit handled other cats and dogs and whether she was house-trained, but the adoption fell through and Fielden's still looking for an owner. She can be contacted at 863-9933.