By: Albert Wang

On June 18, in Sitka, Alaska, a blind, elderly golden retriever named Lulu wandered away from home.

The entire Kubacki family was very sad that they lost their dog.

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

“She’s just so helpless, and you kind of imagined that she can’t get real far because she can’t see,” he says.

After a few weeks of searching, the Kubackis had almost given up hope.

But on July 5, a construction crew found Lulu lying in a bush on the side of a road, barely alive. At first, they mistook her for a bear, but on further inspection, they realized she was a dog in need of help. Her time in the wilderness had whittled her down to just 23 pounds, and she was dehydrated and dirty.

The Kubackis were contacted and reunited with Lulu. They were overjoyed to see her again.