Reunited, and it feels so ‘dog-gone’ good
Published 3:40 pm Tuesday, March 3, 2015
A truck driver and his dog are reunited, and it feels dog-gone good.
Jacksonville, Florida truck driver David Bestoyong lost his 13-month-old dog, Koi, last Monday after his semi-trailer jackknifed on I-20 near exit 548 in the Lindale area.
Koi, a Dotson-Corgi mix, jumped out of the truck and ran as fast as she could out of fear, after Bestoyong opened his door to access the damage. Bestoyong attempted to run after his pup, but had suffered some injuries to his ribs and could not keep up. Koi was lost for a week before being reunited with her owners around 6 a.m. Tuesday morning.
“This was the first time I had taken Koi with me on a truck route,” Bestoyong said. “She is an indoor dog, and does not like the cold.”
Koi ran to a cemetery off I-20 towards the Van 110 exit. She stayed hidden in that area for one week, being fed by volunteers and Nicholas Pet Haven employees.
“Koi was being fed pizza, which we were told by her owners that was her favorite food, and dry dog food,” said Cindy Nash, founder of Nicholas’ Pet Haven.
Early Tuesday morning, the Bestoyong family arrived in Lindale after a long car drive from Jacksonville. Eager to find their lost dog, they were directed to the area she had been spotted multiple times.
“We started calling her name over and over for about two minutes,” Joshua Bestoyong, son of David Bestoyong, said. “I saw her and I thought I needed to say the key phrase, ‘Where’s Daddy?’ so I yelled it and she came running towards me.”
Nicholas’ Pet Haven offered a $500 reward to anyone that could find Koi.
“When I found out that the Bestoyong family was headed here to see if they could get Koi, I didn’t let just anyone go over to where Koi was for the last three days,” said Nash. “I didn’t want those people out there just for the money.”
There is a gofundme account set up for Koi and her family since the ordeal to help with travel expenses. The gofundme account, set up by Heather Riley, a volunteer, can be found at http://www.gofundme.com/savingkoi. After announcing more than $1,600 had been raised for the family, David Bestoyong said he is thankful. He wants to donate the amount to Nicholas Pet Haven for all of their work to help get his dog back. The Bestoyong family is extremely grateful to the volunteers who kept Koi fed.
“I would love to put the money towards Nicholas’ Pet Haven and I think it will help more families like us,” said Bestoyong.
@TMTMelissa