A local bank is making life a little easier for one Spokane family grieving over the death of a beloved dog.
On Tuesday, Mocha, a 12-year-old springer spaniel mix, was hit and killed by a car near the intersection of Nora Avenue and Normandie Street in North Spokane.
"It all happened so fast," said Jay Thielen, Mocha's owner and best friend.
Paula Smith lives next door and heard Mocha get hit.
"And I heard a dog crying, terrible pain," said Smith.
Smith and Thielen's grandson rushed Mocha to a nearby veterinarian, who required half the estimated $1,400 bill be paid up front. Thielen's grandson, however, didn't have the cash to pay the bill.
"Paula, without a blink of an eye, pulls out her credit card," said Thielen.
"I had to do it. I had to help the dog and the kid," said Smith.
An employee at Spokane Teacher's Credit Union, located across the street from the Thielens' home, watched Mocha get hit and knew she had to do something to help, as well.
On Friday afternoon, two STCU employees knocked on Thielen's door with an envelope in hand.
"They said, 'We really feel bad about Mocha, and you have a lot of friends over at (STCU), and we want you to have this," said Thielen.
"And she said it's the vet bill, and I opened it up and it was the check for $1,400. I did what every man would do. I started crying, and then they started crying, and I stopped crying, and they said, 'Can we give you a hug?'" he said.
The employees independently raised money to help Thielen with the vet bill.
"I just think that in this day and age, there's a lot of people out there with big hearts and who really care," he said.
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