Hotel, police offer homeless and their dog a free room to escape bitter cold
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – Hitchhiking from Texas, Hungry, Red and Ooodog found kindness in Fort Wayne. “This is the most incredible thing that’s happened to us in a long time,” Hungry said.
Monday night, Indiana State Police got a call from someone saying they saw them in a Goodwill drop-off bin off U.S. 24 in Fort Wayne by Rural King. In the bitter temperatures, they knew it was probably a desperate situation.
“It’s all about looking out for each other. We look out for our neighbors and our family members. In times like this, this is a stranger looking out for another stranger’s well-being,” ISP Sergeant Ron Galaviz said.
So the trooper working the call and the one at the post, Trooper Michael Hollandsworth and Trooper John Grant, called around. They ended up on the phone with the staff right next door at the Hilton Homewood Suites. Quickly the front desk agent, Lauren, made a call to her manager with a plan to get the people inside and bring their dog.
“It just made me feel really warm inside. Being able to help somebody who doesn’t have anything and is stuck outside in subzero temperatures, it really brings out the hospitality in somebody and being able to help makes your day,” Lauren said.
Lauren’s manager said they didn’t even think twice about letting them in.
“There was no moment of hesitation with it. They told me their game plan on what they wanted to do and they already knew I knew it was the right thing to do,” manager Nick Reuille said.
With the police at their side, the three walked into the hotel, checked in to a warm and clean room, paying only with what they had in their pockets.
“I wanted to cry. I gave her a hug. She’s like ‘don’t worry we got the room for the night.’ I was like ‘are you serious? We don’t have to sleep in the cold?’ It was a good holiday surprise,” Red said.
The surprises kept coming. They stayed another night, and Wednesday when they went to check out, they were told again it’s on the house.
“We’ve got to come back. This is one of the best places we’ve been to in the long time. Some of the nicest people we’ve come across. Thank you. You’ve been absolutely incredible. To the hotel and to the police department, it’s amazing, we thank you,” Red and Hungry said.
Sergeant Galaviz said this was also another reminder to say something if you see something. If it wasn’t for that call, this probably wouldn’t have happened.
Hungry, Red and OooDog are on their way to visit a friend in Warsaw. They have to find rides there but said they aren’t worried about that, especially now.