Our beloved canines are not only our pets, they are our family members, best friends, and confidants, and there is nothing we wouldn’t do for them.
The man in the following story almost lost his best friend and he was willing to move mountains to get him back. He never lost hope of finding his beloved dog named Bullet.
Let’s see how their story unfolds.
Bullet Is Missing
In late April, Bubba Nulisch had a bacterial infection, and his doctors at a Dallas hospital had no other choice but to put him into a medically-induced coma. Three weeks later, Bubba woke up from the coma and was sent to a rehabilitation center in Grand Prairie, Texas.
Soon, his friend called him, telling him that Bullet, his beloved dog, was missing. Nulisch was devastated and started looking for him. He couldn’t leave the rehab center, so he started scrolling through pet sites in hopes of finding his best friend.
He posted about him on the Dallas lost pets Facebook page. He didn’t lose hope of searching for him. His efforts paid off, and on June 5, he saw his pup on the Dallas Animal Services and Adoption Center Facebook page.
“I knew it was my pup just by looking at him. He was wearing the red collar I’d bought him, and he was sitting on somebody’s lap. I thought he looked scared,” Nulisch said.
Feeling upset, he immediately contacted the adoption center, telling them that he was Bullet’s owner.
That was when he found out that a police officer brought his dog to a shelter after he found him wandering the streets. A kind woman fostered him and planned to adopt him in 4 days.
“That was my pup. I wanted him back with me where he belonged,” Nulisch added.
Bubba had worked as a long haul truck driver for 30 years. That job was his life and he couldn’t imagine doing anything else. After being forced to retire from his job due to health issues, Nulisch fell into depression, and in 2019, his neighbor gave him a puppy.
It was Bullet who helped him overcome the depression. He meant the world to him.
“That pup perked me right up. He’d been given the name, Max, but I didn’t think it fit. Then, I was watching ‘The Roy Rogers Show’ on TV and I saw that [Roy] had a German Shepherd named Bullet. I knew that was it. I’d name my pup Bullet.”
Since then, Bullet was always by his side, and the first time they were separated was in April 2023 when Bubba was hospitalized with cellulitis, a bacterial infection.
Fighting To Get Him Back
Determined to fight to get his friend back, he emailed Dallas Animal Services and found out that the only way to get Bullet back was to show them his medical or vaccination records. The photos Bubba had with his pup weren’t proof that he was his owner.
The problem was that Nulisch didn’t have the records. He decided to post about the situation he was in on social media and asked people to convince Dallas Animal Services that he was the real owner of Bullet.
Luckily, Kim Joppie, who runs the Texas Airedale Surrender Rescue, saw his post. She was deeply moved by his story.
Seeing how much his beloved dog meant to him, she couldn’t let him lose him. She believed she could help because she worked with people from Dallas Animal Services.
The Reunion Of Two Best Friends
Joppie drove to Dallas Animal Services to get the necessary paperwork that Nulisch had to fill out to get Bullet back.
She also talked to the woman who was planning to adopt Bullet, and showed her the photos that Nulisch sent her. After seeing them, the woman was convinced that the dog should return to his owner.
Dallas Animal Services agreed to make an exception in this case because they also believed that Nulisch was Bullet’s rightful owner.
Joppie took Bullet to her home while Nulisch was staying at the rehab center. She made sure the dog was neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated. Four days before Nulisch was released from the rehab center, Joppie took Bullet to his owner who was eagerly waiting for him.
When Joppie and Bullet came, Nulisch was in a wheelchair. As soon as his owner called his name, Bullet ran into his arms and licked his face. Nulisch was over the moon, and couldn’t contain his tears.
Finally, these two best friends were reunited. Soon, Nulisch and Bullet were back at home in Grand Prairie, watching westerns together. Nulisch will be forever grateful to Joppie for her kindness and help.
