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After Year on Lam, Lujan Grisham’s Pup Comes Home

By Warren Rojas and Kyle Trygstad
Posted July 15, 2013 at 1:19pm

A year after her furry-footed friend scampered off into the great unknown, Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham has again found love — thanks to the good Samaritan who delivered her precious companion, Kiwi, back into her loving arms.

(Courtesy Michelle Lujan Grisham)
(Courtesy Michelle Lujan Grisham)

The audacious Shih Tzu first interjected herself into Lujan Grisham’s life back in 2004, scampering into the New Mexico Democrat’s car on a fateful, rainy day. That same free spiritedness may have prompted Kiwi to burrow out of Lujan Grisham’s yard last summer, a breakout the avowed pet lover discovered after her two other dogs freaked out from repeated hot air balloon landings near the Albuquerque home. The great escape happened a mere four days after Lujan Grisham won a spirited primary for the Democratic nomination.

According to local news reports, Lujan Grisham did everything possible to sniff out her runaway pooch.

What ensued was a search operation only a seasoned campaigner could pull off. With her two daughters, her friends and members of the community — and with a breeze of a general-election campaign ahead — Lujan Grisham posted fliers, placed a notice on Craigslist, canvassed door to door and hit shelters daily, even investing in robocalls alerting friends and neighbors about the crisis at hand.

“Words cannot express how thrilled I am to have Kiwi home,” Lujan Grisham said in a statement released by her office.

Kiwi isn’t just any dog. She happened to hop into Lujan Grisham’s car and life just a few months after the congresswoman’s husband died from a ruptured cerebral aneurysm in 2004. The pup quickly ingratiated herself into the family and helped Lujan Grisham cope with the grief.

“I love her unconditionally and have welcomed her back with no questions asked,” Lujan Grisham said. “I’m not sure why she left, but as far as I’m concerned, that’s water under the bridge now. What matters is that Kiwi is home.”

Meanwhile, Lujan Grisham appears thrilled to have her whole family back together again. But she’s not taking any more chances.

Team Lujan Grisham said the boss is fitting Kiwi with a GPS-enabled collar ASAP.

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