Sarah Miller recently entered The Home Depot in Kenner, La., with two large dogs and one large problem. Stressed out and in tears, she turned to a team of associates for a solution. Their efforts helped reunite a military family just in time for the holidays.
According to WDSU in New Orleans, the dogs belong to Miller’s daughter Candace Mitchell and son-in-law Devin, a naval crewman who is deployed to the Mediterranean. The couple moved to Hawaii in July, but the state’s 120-day quarantine period for all pets forced them to leave Goose and Maverick with Miller.
On Nov. 12, Goose and Maverick were vaccinated and ready to reunite with Mitchell in Hawaii. “She loves them like they’re her children,” Miller told WDSU. Unfortunately, Miller encountered an obstacle when she arrived at the airport. Her crates weren’t tall enough for the dogs and wouldn’t be allowed on the plane.
After searching online for a few solutions, Miller drove to The Home Depot. Steinlage and his team of associates were eager to help. “The dogs had a plane to catch, so we knew we had to work quickly,” Steinlage said. The associates disassembled the crates and inserted 2x4s to add height.
Miller rented a Home Depot Load ‘N Go to transport the newly enlarged crates back to the airport. She soon faced another hurdle when an airport agent again refused one of the crates. The associates had screwed the second crate together to save time, but the airline required that they be bolted.
Knowing the dogs would miss their flight, Miller booked a later flight and returned to The Home Depot. Bryce fixed the problem in less than 15 minutes and Miller hurried back to the airport.
Hours later, the dogs landed safely in their new home state.
“I was in the military, so I could relate,” Steinlage said. “What would it be like if I were deployed and my wife was alone in a new state?”
“People are not like that anymore …” Miller told WDSU. “It was just amazing; I kept telling them how thankful I was.”
This story was originally reported by WDSU in New Orleans
