Benefit held for woman who lost service dog in hit-and-run crash

WAUKESHA -- A hit and run driver broke Debbie Schultz's leg, and killed her service dog. The Waukesha woman is slowly recovering from physical and emotional injuries, and Sunday, July 15th, family and friends gathered for a benefit.

Schultz's service dog, Lexi, helped her handle her husband's death. The grief became a disability, and Lexi became a service dog.

"When my husband died, I had this thing with sirens, so she would reach way over and put my head on her lap so I could rub her ears. She was so smart and intuitive," Schultz said.

On Sunday, Schultz's friends and family helped her cope with Lexi's death.

Carlos Ward

Carlos Ward of Milwaukee was arrested and cited for running over Lexi and leaving the dog for dead.

"The bitterness and anger really isn't worth it anymore, because eventually I'll be able to walk," Schultz said.

Schultz says she's upset Ward could avoid jail time. As the district attorney considers more charges, she hopes Lexi's story leads to tougher laws.

"I would hope they would make it a year of hard time for violently hurting someone, killing a dog and just tearing off," Schultz said.

For now, Schultz says she will worry about what she can control, and at the top of that list is getting another dog.

"This is really gonna be a step forward for me because I can think about my sadness every day, but I can really go forward with the realization I'll have a new puppy," Schultz said.

That puppy is set to be born in August, and Schultz plans to head to Virginia to pick it up in October.

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