“My world all came back to me.”

***

Last week, a woman told Roger LeClair, a 93-year-old military veteran of World War II, that she was going to do him a favor. She was going to take his beloved 12-year-old teacup Chihuahua, all one-and-a-half pounds of her — Lola — to the veterinarian for him.

Hours later, no woman, no Lola. Then longer — days, until it was clear. His little pup was gone. Stolen. And now lost.

“She’s just the love of my life and she’s almost like my heart, you know.”

That’s when the local media in LeClair’s hometown of Downey, California took over. They made waves with the story, got the message out there that the vet was heartbroken after losing his tiny lapdog, and after a few days: pay dirt.

According to ABC 7 News, a teacher who saw Lola’s mug on a sign found her, called up her dad, and? Jubilation.

A fellow veteran even sweetened the joyful event with an incredibly generous gift. Byron Holtzclaw was holding $5,000 for whoever returned Lola. Before he could alert his local area of the reward, she was found, so he gave it away anyway. He handed it over to LeClair to pay for little meals for the rest of her life.

“I actually feel his pain. I’ve seen guys killed in the war, and it [didn’t] hurt me as much as it hurt me to see him with that dog [because] I think it related to me when I was a kid,” he said.