As Storm Worsens, Family Desperate To Find Missing Dog

EAST HAMPTON, NY — As Wednesday's storm intensifies in East Hampton, a heartbroken family is desperately searching for their missing dog.

Becky Lester, a beloved pre-K teacher in Montauk, lives in Springs and said her dog KC, a four-year old, small, 40-lb. yellow lab, escaped Tuesday night without her tags.

KC, she said, has only three legs.

Lester said she got home Tuesday and the dogs — including the family's 240 lb. Mastiff — went outside.

Lester saw KC at about 5 p.m. but when she went out to feed her at 7 p.m., she saw that she'd escaped the fenced-in yard from their home at 14 Hawthorne Avenue off Springs Fireplace Road.

"She's done this before, but that's when she had four legs," she said.

KC, a jumper, missed a step and severed four tendons, leading to the loss of her leg, she said.

"She's a runner, a hunter, an adventurer. She loves to break out," she said.

The yard had been secured, but landscapers came to rake and inadvertently moved something that allowed KC to escape, she said.

KC has a GPS, but she wasn't wearing it because she hasn't run away since she lost her leg, Lester said. "Her whole collar is on the kitchen counter," she said.

Describing her adored family pet, Lester said KC is a friendly, happy dog. "She'll come when you call her. She loves to be pet."

The community has raced to help, Lester said. "People are coming out of the woodwork, trying to help us find her." One friend came immediately and drove so Lester could search. Her husband Brian Lester woke up as soon as the sun rose on Wednesday to search; and both Lester and her daughter Jules, 13, drove around all Wednesday afternoon after early dismissal from school. "We just keep calling her name."

With only three legs, Lester believes KC could not have gotten far. "When I walk her, after a mile, she's done. She's just looking at me, to carry her home."

The family has spread the word on social media, called local vets and the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons and the town's animal warden, she said.

As the weather worsens and snow is expected to accumulate, Lester said her fears escalate.

"I didn't sleep all night," she said.

Their dog, Lester said, means everything. "She's our little baby. Her name is KC for 'kisses and cuddles.' Santa brought her to my daughter for Christmas."

Her daughter, Lester said, is crying, wanting her pup home. And even the family's other dog is upset. "He wants his sister back."

Friend Lori Flynn said a whole community is rallying to help Lester bring her dog home safely. "One of our beloved teachers lost her dog last night," she wrote on social media. "She only has three legs and the storm is coming quickly," she said. "We have all driven around all day, all night." Lester, she said, "is a kind kind woman and beloved by the community. It hurts my heart to know how much pain she is in."

Lester, in turn, wants to thank the army of angels who's come to her aid. "We have such a great network of friends and family. Everyone is looking for her. But we are very worried about the weather."

If you see KC, call (631) 603-2417.

Patch courtesy photo.