Crash Victim's Family Desperately Searching For Missing Dog
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- State police say a truck traveling southbound on Interstate 79 Sunday night lost control and overturned just north of the Zelienople exit.
The driver, 79-year-old Elmer Goettel, was killed.
"They have a cabin they go up to in Clarion for hunting and for summer activities," said Fran Zuke, Goettel's daughter-in-law. "He was on his way home to be with his family for Easter, and unfortunately, did not make it home."
Riding along with Goettel was his 6-year-old dog, a Chihuahua named Baby. No one has seen Baby since the accident.
"The paramedics and the firemen, from what we were told from the state police, that they did see a dog going up the highway. She's probably scared; she's not going to come to people," said Zuke.
The family is asking everyone in the Zelienople area for help finding Baby. They've contacted animal shelters and rescue groups around the region and passed out flyers with Baby's picture.
"Baby is a small, short-haired, purebred, black Chihuahua. She does have some brownish and white marks on her ears and on her paws," Zuke said. "She's a little bit nervous, so if anybody sees her that's probably her reaction."
Zuke and her husband, Elmer Jr., say his parents treated Baby and their other Chihuahua, Taco, Baby's mother, like their kids.
Elmer Sr. and his wife, Carolyn, would have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary next month. Zuke says bringing back a missing part of the family would help comfort Elmer's widow.
"It's been very hard," she said. "We're still having a difficult time dealing with it. We're hoping that somebody finds the dog 'cause it might bring a little bit of relief back to the family even though we're missing our dad."
Anyone who sees of finds Baby is asked to call 412-944-4565.
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