When military working dog Layka loses a leg while saving the life of her handler, Army Ranger Trent McDonald, he vows to give her all the love that she deserves in retirement. IzzyStaysA hotel-booking website that gives the sales commission to animal rescues!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
[Personal note from the host Laura Thomas] Hi friends! I feel a bit uncomfortable about this, but today I'm going to share with you my own story about struggles with debilitating chronic illness, and how my pup Cody has kept me alive and grateful and grounded through all of it. I feel humbled by this opportunity to share a little bit of my life with you. And I'm wildly grateful that the incredible dog trainer Matt Beisner has joined me as my co-host today, since I can't interview myself. Than...
After a year of unbearable hardships, Sean and his wife Jamie meet a blind, abused dog named Marigold with nowhere to go. They instantly know that Marigold is supposed to be theirs. What they don't know is that Marigold will teach them that life should never be defined by past hardships; especially when the present is so filled with love.
When Julie's pup Marley starts acting strange, refusing to leave her side, she takes him to the veterinarian - and Marley gets a clean bill of health. So she goes to the doctor to get some blood work done on herself. And that trip to the doctor saves her life.
When Emily's wedding is canceled on her wedding day, she suddenly finds herself without a home, without belongings, without anything except her beloved rescue pup Kaya. Kaya teaches Emily that their love is all that they need.
Soon after the birth of their baby, actress Jessica St. Clair and her playwright husband Dan O'Brien developed cancers simultaneously. Their beloved rescue schnauzer Emma seemed to understand that her love could carry them through.
When Janet's house goes up in flames, the babysitter gets one child to safety, while the family's pitbull Blue stays behind in the collapsing, smoke-filled house with the youngest daughter. Can Blue save the child's life?
When Michael's car crashes 50 feet into a ravine, his legs are pinned and he can't move. The only has for survival is his six-month-old puppy Honey.
This episode brings us two heartwarming stories. First: When Wendell suddenly finds him unhoused and living in his van, his pup Sadie attracts blessing after blessing. Then: After a series of devastating losses, Marlene had lost control of her life and fallen into dangerous patterns of addiction and self-loathing. But with patience and dedication, her rescue pups Trixie and Homer--both of whom she had saved from euthanasia lists--taught her how to have compassion for herself.
Before Zach Skow devoted himself to his dog rescue organization, Marley's Mutts, he was a committed alcoholic with a rapidly-dying liver, and all the doctors gave him 90 days to live. But Zach's dog Marley refused to accept this diagnosis.
When a pug arrived at a Laredo animal shelter with a broken pelvis, heartworms, and multiple tick-borne diseases, Jacqueline knew she needed to save him, despite having only $20 in her bank account. She worked two jobs to pay for Puglas's medical care, and at the same time, her own health issues were spiraling and she found herself in need of a service dog. As soon as she started auditioning typical service-dog breeds, Puglas made it known that HE was the best pup for the job.
When a series of tragedies leaves Jonathan homeless, he and his beloved pup Evelyn spend three winter months sleeping in his tiny car, using the engine to keep themselves warm. One particularly cold night, the engine breaks down, leaving them without heat, and Jonathan decides his life is over and passes out from the cold. But Evelyn refuses to let Jonathan go.
Andre grew up hustling for money by caring for the dogs of the drug dealers in his neighborhood, and working in the heartbreaking Quarantine areas of dog shelters. Through the love of three dogs--a shelter Rottweiller, a stray shepherd, and a pitbull puppy, his life is saved.
When Rebecca stops breathing for two full minutes, pup Ulysses tries repeatedly to rouse her. When that doesn't work, he knows it's up to him to figure out how to get help fast.
In this story, we'll hear three beautiful stories from men who overcame deep hardship and depression through the love of their dogs.
In the middle of the night, Ms. Sherry took a tumble in her bathroom, wedging herself between the toilet and the bathtub. Unable to move for many hours, she uttered weak cries of help, uncertain whether anyone outside the house could hear her. From down the street, inside another house, pup Milo came to the rescue.
Louise has an infectious love of life. But Multiple Sclerosis has caused her to fall to the ground many times--sometimes when she's out of reach of her cell phone. But with service pup Moonie around, Louise knows she always has a superhero by her side.
After a brutal and unfair custody battle, Emiko suffered a serious stroke that left her unable to even travel to visit her child. Emotionally broken, she adopted Victoria - a mangy, diseased shelter dog with behavior issues. Like Emiko, Victoria's pups had been taken from her before she arrived at the shelter. Emiko and Victoria embarked on a beautiful healing journey, mothering each other with care.
At the Christmas parade in 2020, Abby collapsed from an episode of POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome). Picaso, a shelter dog walking in the parade, pulled his handler into the crowd to save her. Then, she saved him.
Today, we'll hear two moving stories from young women. First, bereaved sister Mags tells the story of how pup Cici showed her brother endless joy and grace as he grappled with mental illness. Now, in his honor, Mags and her family have started an organization, Paws for Patrick, that transforms other people's lives through the love of dogs. Next, Morgan tells us how, with the help of Paws for Patrick, pup Mescal helped her work through a paralyzing fear of leaving her college dorm room.