Why Zulu the hero dog causes commotion

The e-mails about Zulu keep pouring into the newspaper. Many people have theories, others a genuine interest in Zulu's welfare. As of Friday, Zulu, a 3-year-old black Labrador retriever mix, had been missing for a week. The dog became a hero of sorts for sticking by her master, Robert Sumrall, an El Paso hiker who spent seven days missing after hiking in Emory Pass on the eastern edge of the Gila Wilderness near Hillsboro in southwestern New Mexico -- a hiker's paradise with majestic, panoramic vistas. A couple of ranchers found Sumrall, the 67-year-old husband of former West Side city Rep. Jan Sumrall, lying in the sand. Rescuers said the dog helped keep Sumrall warm in the frigid forest and possibly saved his life. Sumrall is still recovering in an El Paso hospital, but the dog ran away, sparking a regional outburst of concern for the missing dog and a reward fund that has accumulated $3,500. A multitude of questions started flowing around office coffee pots across El Paso when Zulu disappeared and made headlines...read more