Eduardo "Eddie Boy" Delgado, 20, could often be seen sitting is his wheelchair in the yard of his Moreno Valley home with his dog, a 2-year-old Yorkshire terrier named Lucy, on his lap. Neighbors would wave as they drove by or stop and say hi.
"The dog would be his companion and they grew bonded together," said his mother, Irma Delgado.
But on April 7, the seven-pound dog ran out of the house when Eduardo, or Eddie Boy as neighbors, hospital staff and family call him, answered the door. The family hasn't seen her since.
Eduardo, who is confined to the wheelchair due to spina bifida, is devastated, his mother says.
"He's very depressed because she was his companion," she said. "He can't really go out much because of the wheelchair."
The family has put up flyers, and gone door-to-door looking for Lucy.
A neighbor near the corner of Lasselle Street and John F. Kennedy Drive had seen the dog recently, so the family has some hope of someone returning Lucy.
Eduardo has had more than 30 surgeries and also suffers from sleep apnea, with a recent bad spell in January. Irma Delgado said it's hard taking care of him as a single mother, but giving him a companion like Lucy helped.
"At first we didn't want any pets, but I thought I'd get him something to keep him company," she said.
The friendly Yorkie has silky brown and white fur, and a collar and tags.
The family is offering a reward for anyone who finds her. Information: (951) 243-8374 or (951) 992-6368. Reach Jennifer Whitaker by e-mail at
jwhitaker@PE.com or by phone at (951) 567-2403 and by fax at (951) 485-2852.
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