Vietnam veteran's dying wish is granted after tearful reunion with his chihuahua Mr Cutie who has been missing for a week

John Simpson, who has just days to live, is reunited with his lost dog

Woman found chihuahua near Florida cancer patient's hospice



When John Simpson's beloved chihuahua Mr Cutie went missing from their Florida home last week, the cancer patient feared he may never see his friend again.



The Vietnam veteran, who has only days to live, said his only wish in the world was that he could hold his tiny dog one final time.



And on Friday night that wish was granted, after the woman who found Mr Cutie took him to the hospice for a tearful reunion.

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Reunited: Cancer patient John Simpson is reunited with his chihuahua who went missing last weekend

At first, no one knew for sure if the dog found by Miss Figueroa was Mr Cutie, who had not being wearing an ID tag when he escaped.

Miss Figueroa says she found Mr Cutie running around close to the hospice, according to the Examiner.

But when the pair met in the hospice, it was clear from the wagging tail and Mr Simpson's tears that Mr Cutie had returned.



An overwhelmed Mr Simpson, who says he has been praying to St Jude, the patron saint of lost causes, for the safe return of the dog, said: 'I feel like crying,' as Mr Cutie scampered over him and licked his owner's face.

Miss Figueroa has spent the past week trying to find the dog's owner and admitted to Fox 13 that she was becoming attached to the dog.



When she put a picture of Mr Cutie on FidoFinder.com a Fox13 viewer recognized the dog and got in touch.



Miss Figueroa said: 'Seeing this person I don't even know so excited to see his dog, it just makes me happy that I got to be here for that and make him happy.'

Relief: John Simpson, who has only days to live, was overjoyed to see Mr Cutie who escaped from their home

Saved: Missy Figueroa found the chihuahua near to the hospice where his owner is staying

It is thought that the chihuahua had gone in search of his owner on Sunday last week.



Mr Simpson had moved to the hospice after his pancreatic cancer reached its final stages. It had been diagnosed on Thanksgiving last year.



Ann Marie Gemmel, who has been caring for Mr Cutie in Holiday, since Mr Simpson moved to the Pasco County hospice a few weeks ago, says the dog dug a hole under a fence and disappeared the day after she took him to visit his owner.



'That dog's never tried to dig a hole. Saturday was the first time I took the dog here to hospice. That next day, he got out. I really think he was looking for John,' she said.

Friends of Mr Simpson had searched his home town of Holiday for Mr Cutie, putting up posters and setting up a Facebook page to draw attention to the urgency of finding the missing dog and to co-ordinate their search efforts.

On Friday night, their efforts were rewarded, as a post on the page stated: 'It is with the greatest pleasure that I can post here that Mr Cutie is at this moment in the arms of his Dad John!!'

When Mr Cutie first went missing, Mr SImpson said: 'When you're growing up you're asked, "If you could have one wish, what would you wish for?" Back in those days, I used to say, "As many wishes as I could wish for." Now, my only wish would be for my dog to come home.'

Homeward bound: Friends believe Mr Cutie had gone in search of his owner after visiting him at the hospice

He added that he lived to see his little dog and was clinging to life in the hope his missing dog would return.



The hospice where Mr Simpson is staying is now making sure that Mr Simpson, who says his dog is his 'spark of life', gets to spend plenty of time with Mr Cutie.