Sunday Funday Moment: El Paso Times journalist adopts stray Juarez dog found by CBP officers
El Paso, Texas-- Dogs. We don’t deserve them sometimes, but we need them, especially during the tough times in life. Today’s moment is a story of how a stray dog became a blessing in disguise for one El Paso Times reporter.
"I get so emotional thinking about it because the day that I got him it was a terribly hard assignment and I think people don't realize how difficult our jobs are sometimes," said Briana Sanchez, an visual journalist for the El Paso Times.
As journalists, sometimes the stories we’re assigned to cover can be emotionally draining and that was the case for Sanchez.
"So one day for work I had to cover a funeral and then I see this dog and I thought, maybe this is why I need this dog,” said Sanchez.
The dog in question went by the name of 'Bridge Pup' after he was discovered by local U.S. Customs Border Patrol officers.
"He was a street dog in Juarez.. When CBP officers found him he was partially covered in oil and he was curled up in a little ball you could tell he was very skinny and very tired,” explained Sanchez, "So he stayed by them and they fed him and they gave him water but he had no interest in going back to Juarez but they were like, he can't stay here.”
CBP officers decided to bring the dog over to El Paso to help him find a new home.
"He went through customs. He did the whole thing,” said Sanchez.
It was that night after covering a funeral when Sanchez was scrolling through instagram and noticed the photo of 'Bridge Pup.'
"So my friend Justin Hamel wrote that this dog was found by CBP and said that he had a friend who was fostering Bridge Pup and if anyone is interested in adopting him to let him know,” said Sanchez.
She was unsure at first, but something inside of her told her that bridge pup not only needed her, but she would need him even more.
"So now when I do these tough assignments I can think about getting home and thinking I'm gonna take him to the dog park today," said Sanchez, "He’s not a therapy or service dog but in a sense he was.”
Sanchez re-named 'Bridge Pup' to Lieutenant Dan, but these days he goes by Lou.
