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Service dog
rescued and reunited
October 7,
2005
Imagine being blind, sick, and knowing that while you are being
airlifted to a safe hospital your best friend was left behind in a
flooded New Orleans East apartment. This is what Denise Okojo, a blind
woman suffering from cancer, had to endure when she was taken to safety
and her 6-year-old seeing eye dog, Molly, was left behind.
Okojo was airlifted from her roof to Lake Charles Memorial Hospital’s
Oncology Unit, when her two-story apartment was flooded after Hurricane
Katrina hit. Molly, her black Labrador retriever was left alone for 10
days, hungry, scared and susceptible to seizures. The seeing eye dog,
who is epileptic, had no one there to administer her much needed
medication. She waited patiently for a rescue team of her own.
Okojo, in her early 50’s and in need of chemo and radiation treatment,
was distraught without Molly. When she shared her story with the
hospital’s oncology nurse manager, Penny Choates, the wheels to save
Molly were set in motion. The Louisiana SPCA and ASPCA knew they needed
to get to Molly. Laura Maloney and Caroline Page of the LA/SPCA joined
forces with Laura Lanza and Joelle Rupert of the ASPCA in an amazing
water journey that took nearly six hours by boat.
In heroic measures, Page broke through a window in the first floor of
the apartment, swimming through murky waters until she was able to reach
stairs to the second floor. After searching in the dark, Page found
Molly -- afraid, hungry and cold.
The rescue team took Molly to a temporary shelter for rescued animals
for one night, then the service dog began the journey to Lake Charles,
Louisiana to be reunited with her human, where a private hospital room
was set up for her and a very grateful Okojo.
Their reunion was short-lived. Days later, Okojo had to again be
evacuated in preparation for Hurricane Rita. She was airlifted to
another hospital. Molly’s fate this time however is in much better
hands. She’s being cared for by a Lake Charles resident and animal
lover. Until she can be with her best friend, Okojo keeps Molly’s
service harness at her bedside at all times.
By Gloria Dauphin
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