This is the heartbreaking story of 93-year-old World War II veteran Roger LeClair and his stolen dog Lola. The tiny senior Chihuahua was snatched right from the man’s front yard.
Not long after Lola was taken, Mr. LeClair has been joyously reunited with the dog he calls his “best friend,” and we could not be more ecstatic to share their wonderful story with you!
On November 9th 2016, a woman approached Mr. LeClair’s home and told him that she was taking Lola to a veterinarian, but she never returned with the fragile 1 1/2 pound dog. The war veteran reached out to local media for help in finding his beloved pet, who had recently been put on medication.
WWII veteran in Downey asks for help after his “best friend” — a dog named Lola — was stolen from from front yard https://t.co/NaL9N074Zv pic.twitter.com/uKvwZb2yXs
— KTLA (@KTLA) November 19, 2016
The story was picked up by news sources all over the country and support poured in from social media users, urging Lola’s kidnapper to return her unharmed. Mr. LeClair described his devastation over Lola’s loss to ABC7:
“I miss her so much. She’s just the love of my life and she’s almost like my heart, you know. And I want her back so bad.”
Lola and Mr. LeClair’s 9-day ordeal came to an end when a local teacher who had seen coverage of Lola’s abduction spotted the distinctive-looking Chihuahua in a schoolyard. The bonded pair who have been together since Lola was just 2-months-old were finally reunited!
Mr. LeClair suspects that the woman who stole Lola got cold feet when she saw all the coverage and attention the story was getting. The elderly veteran described Lola’s homecoming as “the biggest highlight of my little life.”
Despite the joy of that moment, the story was far from over. Another veteran, Byron Holtzclaw – who served in Korea – was so touched by Mr. LeClair’s devotion to Lola that he planned to offer a $5,000 reward for the dog’s safe return. When he learned that Lola was home, he presented the check to Mr. LeClair to cover Lola’s food for the rest of her life!
Get the tissues ready and watch the ABC7 video coverage of Mr. LeClair and Lola’s much-deserved happy ending.
Toledo, United States.
