Welcome to Pearl’s Homepage

Welcome Pearl !!!

After fostering Roscoe & Pepper, I realized just how much I miss having a dog around.
Pearl has been a wonderful addition to my home. Big “thank you” to all of the awesome folks at BASSET HOUND RESCUE OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA for putting this awesome dog into my life. I have been able to “work from home” during this pandemic, and Pearl has been a fantastic “co-worker”. She is such a happy dog!!! I look forward to her company for many years.

December, 2016 - After losing my job in Ohio, I make the decision to move 2,200 miles to San Diego to start over: which means to find work, and also to explore other parts of the country. I’ve visited San Diego a couple of time to visit my friend Pete, so this was the city that I was sort of familiar with. Penny accompanied me on this venture, and was an awesome copilot.

06/30/2018 - I said goodbye to Penny, the 2nd dog I ever owned and my copilot on my 5-day cross-country trip December 2016. She made it to the age of 18, and was definitely 1 of the 2 sweetest dogs I was fortunate enough to be around. Penny is the reason why I made this website, as my way to cope with her death. There are photo-dump pages, poems to help heal, and links to rescue sites who have been instrumental in my dog journey. It would be almost 2 years later that I would open up my heart to the other sweetest girl, Pearl. During this time, I chose to foster a brother and sister to help me get back into the “dog ownership” frame of mind. See the page “Roscoe and Pepper” for a ton of photos of these lovable siblings.

04/25/2020 - Pearl arrives, just as the Covid pandemic hit. I was supposed to get her from her foster family in March, but traffic was limited to emergency vehicles, so I delayed driving up to the LA area to get her. After she arrived, I was working 100% from home, which suited Pearl just fine because that meant that I would be with her all of the time. She was not a fan of being left alone.

May, 2021 - Pearl is in need of medical assistance. See the page “Pearl Back Surgery” for details.

08/07/2021 - Roscoe, one of the 2 dogs I fostered after I said goodbye to Penny#1 and before I got Pearl, arrives on a full-time basis. There were some issues with the household where Roscoe and his sister Pepper were adopted, so I got him returned back to me.

09/06/2022 - Pearl and I say goodbye to Roscoe. He was such a lovable cuddler. There are so many awesome photos of Pearl and Roscoe lying next to each other. Check out the “Pearl and Roscoe” page.

11/12/2022 - Pearl isn’t alone anymore. Welcome Penny (unofficially Penny#2, because Penny#1 was my copilot when I drove from Columbus, OH to San Diego, CA in December, 2016). Pearl and Penny would become very close. Check out the “Pearl and Penny” page for more awesome photos of these 2 lovable hounds.

03/21/2024 - My time with Pearl has unfortunately come to an end. Almost 3 years after her major back surgery, she started having issues with her back legs again. She wasn’t able to walk or pull herself up the ramp or any of the dog stairs. I used a strap to carry her back legs as she walked with her front legs. Then during her final week, she started to lose the use of her front legs. She went more than 2 days without eating a full meal, and only occasionally drank water. I made 1 last gut-wrenching call to my vet, and after talking to them, they gave me the number of PAWS INTO GRACE and they made Pearl’s transition a smooth and gentle one.

As the weeks go on, Pearl’s memory is still strong around here. Everything I do and think about inevitably leads me to another wonderful Pearl memory. Every night as I turn the light out, I still say “Goodnight sweet girls”. I think Penny has adjusted to being the only dog, but part of me thinks she is bored here. She’s by herself … but I am not ready for another dog #2. The people that dog-sat her while I had my back surgery have 2 basset hounds of their own, and I think she really liked that kind of “pack” activity. They went for trail walks, and had lots of treats and stimulation.

Here is the first photo I took of Pearl, when I picked her up from her foster family back in April of 2020. She always seemed to have that smiling expression. I still really miss her … this one hurt.