Love shown by Coppellians in Cubby’s time of need

By Natalie Hill, center spread editor

On Wednesday, I came home to find my mom, sister and nephew looking in utter disbelief. Having it been a fairly decent day for me, I was disappointed to see that not everyone was perky. My dogs had run away.

Tuffy, my 11 year old Australian Terrier, blind since age four, had been turned into the pound (puppy prison) earlier that day. Cubby, my 5 year old Yorkie, my 12th birthday gift, the love of my life, had been gone since one o’clock. It was 4:30, and he still wasn’t home.

I felt like my brain had been turned inside out. My heart dropped to my toes. My baby, my daily joy, was gone forever a far as I knew. I walked out my back door and trying to hold myself together, I called my close friends for help. Seniors Nic Eskridge, Faith Avalos, LeeAnn Stover, Joey Tully, Kevin Rutledge, Katie Quill, Ron Tamir, Junior Derrick Kaul and his mom Kim, my mom, dad and sister, 3 Coppell police officers, and many more that I don’t even know of searched high and low to find my lost friend

I walked every surrounding alley within a mile radius of my house, screaming his name “CUBBY! CUBBY!”, tears rushing uncontrolably down my face. I imagined him huddled, shivering by an angry household, looking for love but left to find nothing but abuse. I imagined him laying on the side of 121 highway, wimping from the injuries due to the speeding car. I imagine a little girl, finding him, taking him home and falling in love. I imagined her mom letting her keep him. I couldn’t control my thoughts. I was never going to see Cubby again. He was gone forever and I’d be devistated for the rest of my life.

For hours, we walked, drove, yelled, cried, imagined, hoped, prayed, feared, hugged and waited. Losing Cubby would be like losing a family member. He brought laughter to our house, he loved when it was needed, he protected when he felt danger, he entertained when necessary. My 8 pound dog was my constant best friend, and my heart was ripped to pieces even thinking about him not being there for me everyday.

At 6 PM, I got on facebook and posted links and statuses and chatted everyone online spreading the word. We printed LOST DOG fliers and hung posters on every major intersection in Coppell. The odds weren’t looking good that we’d see him tonight. I felt deflated.

At 7, my dad got a phonecall that Cubby was found, rescued and taken care of by junior Andrea Lozano and her family. He had been bathed and loved by them and we went to pick him up, safe and sound. I am forever grateful to the Lozano family for caring for my baby. I was sighing breathes of relief for the rest of the night. My darling was home and all was well. I found out later that night that Tuffy, Cubby’s blind brother who was found earlier that day, had been saved by junior Amber Sullivan and Katherine Marshall. I, again, am forever grateful for them too.

Had we been in any other town, I think that my dogs would have been gone forever. Coppell is a generous, loving place and I thank everyone, from the bottom of my heart, for helping us in our time of need. Heaven forbid this ever happens to you, I’ll be there to help, and show the same generousity and love that you all showed me.