FOUND!

On Tuesday afternoon, May 3, 2022, Sherry Noppe, a resident of Katy, Texas, took her black Labrador, Max, for a walk in her Parkland Village subdivision.  She was last seen on a home security camera near Fry Road and Highland Knolls, walking down the sidewalk wearing shorts, a short-sleeved top, and white tennis shoes, with Max taking the lead.  Sherry’s neighborhood backs up to George Bush Park which is also a favorite place to walk her dog.  Since Noppe had recently been diagnosed with dementia, at age 63, her family was quite concerned when hours had passed and she had not returned home.  Phone calls were made, Harris County Constable Ted Heap’s office was notified, Texas EquuSearch and other authorities were contacted, and friends were told.  Amy Majewski and Mary Beth Cameron, longtime friends, quickly set up a Facebook group “Find Sherry,” which expanded to over 9,000 followers.  Prayers were offered day and night. 

People were asked to check their home and business security cameras for clues of where Sherry and Max might be.  A check-in command center was set up in the Walgreen’s parking lot and people began to show up to get assignments of where to begin looking for Sherry and Max.  Family, friends, officers, people from the community, medical personnel, and people from other cities came to assist.  Flyers, with pictures, were printed and put up in the area.  One business shut down for the day so all of their employees could be part of the rescue team.  A specialist came in and volunteered to set up a grid search.  Helicopters, drones, cars, dogs, and ATVs were used to search the neighborhood area and the 2,700-acre George Bush Park.  People took shifts all hours of the day and night, even searching in the heat of the day and the hard rain.  Late Thursday afternoon, dogs picked up Sherry’s scent, but then seemed to lose it. 

 

Early Friday morning, around 3:00, about 20 people were walking in a dense area of George Bush Park when they heard a dog barking.  They turned off the ATVs to listen.  The search party followed the sound of the barks and eventually found Sherry and Max about 50 to 100 yards off the trail, deep in the woods.  Four of the people in the rescue group were friends of the Noppe children from childhood days.  Even though Max no longer had on a collar or leash, he stayed with Sherry.  Her two daughters and son said Max is a hero for leading the searchers to their mother.  Justin told the reporters, “Max was our brother’s dog.  He passed away two years ago.  He’s the last thing that we really have of him.  To get them both back is a silver lining.”

 

Sherry was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital Katy to be evaluated while Max was being checked out by a veterinarian and given a much-needed bath.

 

Things observed:

* Time is precious.

* Sometimes you need to put down doing what is good to do what is most needed at the moment.

* Working together builds a team.

* Organization and communication are assets.

* Helping involves time and effort.

* Sometimes you must get sweaty or rain soaked to be a link in the plan.

* It’s good to listen and communicate carefully.

* Different areas of expertise are helpful for big events.

* No amount of help is too little.

* Community happens when we are willing to work for a common cause.

* There is much rejoicing when a goal is achieved, even when you don’t know the people personally.

* Miracles still happen.

 

May we each be willing to do our part to be a link in the chain that makes a difference.

 

 

There is a time for everything,

     and a season for every activity under the heavens:

     a time to weep and a time to laugh,

  a time to mourn and a time to dance,

Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4

 

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.

Romans 12:15