A city desperate for the smallest spark of hope has a reason to rejoice today. Reed Cowan, a reporter for News 3 Las Vegas, has been diligently following the story of Ryan Needham and his service dog, Roulette.
Rou went missing during the mass shootings Sunday night at the Route 91 Country Music Festival. Needham and his fiancé refused to return home to California without their beloved pup, and now they won’t have to, because Rou has been found!
Cowan first met Needham on Tuesday, two days after the senseless tragedy took the lives of 59 individuals. The desperate man had been living out of his truck and searching for Rou ever since she leapt from his arms and disappeared into the terrified crowd of more than 22,000.
The initial report of the search for Rou quickly went viral with hundreds of viewers sharing the story and many even coming out to help Needham search.
Nearly 72 hours after she went missing, Rou and Needham were reunited in a field next to the venue where the shooting took place. According to the ecstatic owner, he was speaking with some News 3 fans when he caught sight of his pup.
“We saw her run by as we were talking to your viewers,” Needham told Cowan. “I jumped over the fence, I kneeled down, and she ran and jumped into my arms!”
An overjoyed Cowan was too excited to wait for the official broadcast to share the fabulous news of Rou’s recovery. He took to Facebook Live to announce the wonderful news to the pup’s loyal supporters.
Rou is noticeably thinner, dirty, and showing signs of emotional trauma from her three day ordeal, but she is alive.
“There are no words,” Needham said. “It’s crazy. I’m so glad everybody’s spirits can be lifted by our dog’s story. Maybe it can help a little but I guess… I don’t know. This dog is a symbol of hope. She’s the new mascot for Vegas.”
H/T & Featured Image via News 3 Las Vegas
