NEW CARLISLE, Ind. (WSBT) — Chicago native Joseph Kelly was on his way back from Washington, D.C. with Lulu, his 3-year-old German Shepherd Poodle mix, over seven weeks ago when he hit a patch of ice on the Toll Road near New Carlisle, causing his car to flip and crash.
Kelly injured his head and lungs in the crash and Lulu escaped from the vehicle.
“Lulu was nowhere to be found, and no one had any idea where she was,” Kelly said.
He's been searching ever since he was released from the hospital, saying his dog is his entire world and he will search for her until she is found.
“If I were lost and it were up to Lulu to find me, that dog would die before she would quit. It's only right that I do for her what she would do for me,” Kelly said.
Due to his head injury in the crash, Kelly was unable to form memories of what happened for about 30 minutes, leaving him unable to remember where Lulu might have gone.
“Zero closure, no memory of anything, you know, and what's worse is, it turns out that I didn't lose consciousness. So technically, I am the only witness as to what actually happened to Lulu, but I'm unable to remember,” Kelly said.
Kelly says since the crash, he has been shocked by how many people in the community have helped search for Lulu, saying even the Indiana State Police conducted a foot grid search of the area unprompted.
“People have come out with thermal drones, cameras, dog food, they've set up stations. These people reached out to me. I didn't reach out to them to hire their services. They're doing all of this out of the goodness of their heart because they love dogs and they want to see owners reunited with lost pets,” Kelly said.
He adds throughout the search, the idea of reuniting with Lulu is what gives him hope.
“My puppy, my Lulu is so sweet and so fragile. She can't be left alone for 10 minutes without becoming emotional. I can't imagine what our reunion will be like after seven weeks. If we're reunited, she'll never let me leave her alone again, and I'm fine with that. She'll stay right next to my side everywhere I go from now on,” Kelly said.
Kelly says Lulu is wearing a Chicago themed collar and a tag with her name and his phone number on it.
He is also offering a $1,500 cash reward for her return no questions asked.
Anyone with information on Lulu can contact Kelly at joseph.kelly.773@gmail.com.
