By: Emily Li

It had been three weeks since an Alaska family last saw their golden retriever. The household had almost given up ever seeing their best friend again until July 5th, when the beloved dog was found by construction workers.

Lulu, an elderly blind golden retriever, has been with the Kubacki family for years. “She means everything. I have five daughters and they’re 4 to 13 years old, so they’ve spent every day of their life with that dog,” Ted Kubacki said. The Kubackis currently live in Sitka, Alaska. On June 18th, Lulu disappeared, and the worried family spent weeks trying to locate her in vain.

The family was the target of a cruel joke. Someone messaged the household right at night claiming that he had “found” the lost dog. The family was elated only to realize that the messenger was messing with them. “This happened, yeah, that was all part of this terrible story,” Kubacki said. The family, discouraged and disappointed, almost came to the conclusion that their dog was gone forever. However, miracles sometimes do happen.

Construction workers found Lulu laying in a bush along a road near the family’s home. At first glance, the crew mistook the golden retriever as a bear. “They got a closer look and they realized that it was a dog, and they got her out of there,” Ted Kubacki said. The workers contacted the Kubackis and then it was all joy and screams of happiness.

Lulu was not dead, but she was close. In three weeks, the former 80 pound dog now weighed 57 and was dehydrated. With rest, food, and proper care, Lulu is now able to regain some of her previous abilities. The veterinarian’s bill for hospital and care was kindly funded by Sitka residents. In the end, everyone was joyful and happy that the dog was back.

To have Lulu back from missing for so long was lucky. Some other unfortunate owners never found their lost dog. In March, 2022, Leon, a Iditarod sled dog from Alaska, was missing for three months after suddenly vanishing in the middle of the race. Alaska weather is volatile. Dogs often need to dress up during the winter to prevent frostbite.

The Kubacki family are so grateful for their beloved dog to come home. “We have our family member home,” Kubacki finished.

Links:

● https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/blind-alaska-dog-lost-found-1.6515089

● https://alaskapublic.org/2022/07/08/sitka-family-reunites-with-blind-dog-3-weeks-after-it-went-missing/

● https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/blind-older-dog-found-alaska-3-weeks-wandering-rcna37536