Blind, Old Dog Has Been Found After 3 Weeks of Searching

By: Amanda Yang

On Thursday, July 7th, in Sitka, Alaska, the Kubacki family reunited with their blind, old Golden Retriever, Lulu, who wandered off and went missing.

“She means everything,” owner Ted Kubacki said. “I have five daughters and they’re 4 to 13 years old, so they’ve spent every day of their life with that dog.”

The family also was the subject of a terrible joke, when someone texted them and said they had found Lulu. “We put the kids to bed and got a text saying, ‘We found your dog,’ or ‘I have your dog,’ and we’re like, ‘Oh my god, this is incredible,’” Ted Kubacki said. “Then the person texted me, ‘Just kidding.’ This happened, yeah, that was all part of this terrible story.”

On June 18th, Lulu wandered off and went missing, causing her family to search for three weeks. The Kubacki family lost all hope and were about to give up, but then on Tuesday, construction site workers caught sight of the blind, old, Golden Retriever in a Salmonberry bush. Salmonberries are similar to raspberries, but instead of being a pinkish-reddish color, they can be red, orange, or yellow.

At first, the construction site workers thought Lulu was a bear. Then they looked closer and realized she was a dog. They then called Kubacki's home. The family was very relieved, and their sadness melted away when they received the call.

“I called my wife from work and it was just screaming… She just starts yelling, then she yells to the kids. And I just hear them screaming like crazy,” Kubacki said.

Lulu was barely alive when she was found. The 80-pound dog had dropped 23 pounds. She was dehydrated, dirty, and her fur was matted when she was found. But, little by little, her condition has improved with medical care, food, and rest.

Slowly, but surely, Lulu began to regain her energy. She started eating and also started picking her head up a little. Yesterday, she even propped herself up onto her front paws, by herself, and nestled into Kubacki. She started wagging her tail and gave her owner a kiss.

Ted Kubacki, the only provider for his family of seven, was worried about the veterinarian bills for Lulu. Luckily, Sitka residents donated hundreds of dollars to fund Lulu’s bills.

“We have our family member home,” Kubacki said.