This is Alysia and Dave with Liz E.’s Pekingese Rescue and Sanctuary. We want to send a BIG THANK YOU to Dog Talk for offering a contest to shelters and rescues of Arkansas. We ALL work for and toward the same cause, to keep dogs out of shelters and away from their lives being in jeopardy.

We want to share a common story at Liz E.’s. Here at Liz E.’s, we receive many notifications of dogs who find themselves without a home due to an aging pet parent. A common story is a person who cannot take care of themselves anymore due to age or illness. The person then goes to live in assisted living or a nursing facility that does not allow pets. Often, family members refuse to keep the dog and the easiest option is to euthanize the pet. We see this with dogs of all ages. Last year, we took in 10 Pekingese in one day who had lost their pet parent due to a stroke. Our most recent story is of little PamPam. PamPam came to us May 12th, 2018. She is about 13 years old. She is in congestive heart failure and takes heart medicine. She is a happy little girl and otherwise healthy. Her favorite activities are to hang out with her human indoors or in the sunshine, snuggle and eat. PamPam lost her pet parent to assisted living and her extended family wanted to euthanize her, after leaving her in the home for two months without her pet parent. With the help of volunteers, Liz E.’s was able to save her. Once she came to Liz E.’s, she seemed well adjusted.

But then, something happened. We witnessed a reaction of PamPam’s that was crushing. Dave’s mother came to visit. Dave’s mother is 79. As soon as she arrived, PamPam sprinted over and jumped on her legs, jumped in her lap, kissed her face, as if to say, “Momma! You came back to get me! I knew you would! I knew you would come!” She was so excited and her tail appeared motorized, it was wagging so rapidly! While Dave’s mother visited, PamPam stayed by her side, followed her through the house, through the yard, up to the pool. She never left her side. When Dave’s mother went to the car to leave, PamPam started crying. As she drove away, PamPam whined and cried and cried and cried. She sat near the gate, pacing and crying. Clearly something about Dave’s mother, reminded PamPam of the only human she had ever known. It was a scene that was undeniably heartbreaking to watch.

PamPam will be safe with us, and we know that dogs are resilient. We know she will thrive until her final days come. But with a little effort on behalf of those who could have helped if they chose to, PamPam’s life didn’t have to materialize this way. Here at Liz E.’s we also have Harvey, whose pet parent had to go into nursing care. Her family would not care for the dog. So we drive a round trip of 130 miles to take Harvey, the Pekingese, to visit her every few weeks in the nursing facility. Do we have to? No. But we do it for the health and happiness of the dog and the dog’s owner.

If we love a dog, we know a dog’s love.

It creates a radiance in our souls that no one wants to go dim.

Submitted by Alysia Dubriske, Director, Liz E.’s Pekingese Rescue and Sanctuary

May 14, 2018