An Air Force graduate fought back tears of joy when her family set up a surprise reunion with her beloved "best friend" pug to fly across the country and surprise her at her graduation. For Briselda Lopez, 19, her three-year-old Pug, Lucy, has always been her best friend, ‘daughter’ and a bringer of happiness - so it was only right Lucy would be there, wearing a U.S. Air Force sash, in support. When Briselda headed to San Antonio, Texas, from her home in Palmdale, California, for training to join the Air Force, she knew the separation from Lucy would be extremely tough. The pair were separated for nearly two months, and when it came time for Briselda to graduate, the family knew they had to reunite her with Lucy in some way. For days before traveling to San Antonio, Briselda's sister, Cely, trained Lucy to get used to her dog carrier, which would allow her to travel on the flight from California to Texas. Then, on December 4, the day of Briselda's graduation, the proud Airman headed to reunite with her family at their hotel parking lot. As soon as she saw her boyfriend’s mom carrying Lucy, Briselda immediately welled up, taking ahold of her beloved pug for a long, tearful hug that had been months in the making.
