A Local Thanksgiving Gratitude
As we wind down 2020 we want to take a few moments to highlight some positivity and reasons for hope that arose during Thanksgiving week, which help fuel optimism going into 2021.
Our Hometown Hero
Teresa Becher in Kenai Alaska
For folks on the Kenai Peninsula, you may have seen numerous social media posts about a dog seen wandering alone for days just before and after Thanksgiving in the vicinity of milepost 63 of the Sterling Highway (by Mystery Creek). Several people reported seeing this poor pup out in the middle of nowhere with no human in sight, and despite several attempts by multiple people to approach the pup, it kept running away out of fear.
With big storms and frigid temperatures on the horizon, our Kenai Coordinator, Teresa Becher decided to go hike in that vicinity a couple times to see if she might stumble across the poor pooch… and she did! Although he was very wary, she was able to earn his trust enough to get close enough to give him food and leave a blanket near the shed he had been hunkering down at for days.
Thanks to everyone rallying together on Facebook, Cooper’s owner was tracked down in Anchorage. He was desperately searching for Cooper and had driven back down multiple times trying to find the lost pup. Teresa waited with Cooper, keeping the scared puppy company, for hours until his owner could make the drive from Anchorage.
When he arrived, Teresa guided him the ½ mile trek through the snow to where Cooper was hiding out. The scared puppy was so excited to see his dad, and suddenly decided Teresa was his best friend for reuniting him with his family. We couldn’t be prouder of our Hometown Hero Teresa, who not only is a wildlife warrior, but also a rescuer of wayward puppies. We feel so fortunate to have Teresa Becher part of our AWA team.
