10/08/2026
10/11 update:
Pebbles is doing well as he settles into a new routine and new life, for however long it may be (they discovered a mass during his vet exam). THANK YOU to everyone that donated for Pebbles. We raised $900 for him, which was sent to Christina to cover his vet bill and a small portion of her cost to go get Pebbles. This gesture from everyone was appreciated beyond what my words can express, and I'll start tearing up if I explain why. All I can really say is I love when people can come together for a common cause that we believe in.
As I sit and take a quiet moment to eat my breakfast and enjoy my coffee, I want to share a story about a rescue that happened earlier this week. The story should serve both as an example of someone willing to go above and beyond and put themselves out there to save a dog, something rescues are asked to do daily and something we ask of others to help us do this, and as a cautionary tale. It's also a request for donations.
Pebbles #141806 is a 14 year old dog that was dumped by his owner at a shelter in Apple Valley, because reportedly the owner was tired of Pebbles destroying Amazon packages or other deliveries that would be dropped over the gate. He noted the dog is very protective of his yard, but otherwise good with other dogs, good with kids, generally very friendly. He had been there for over a month with no interest, and it was time for the shelter to move him on one way or the other. So he was put on the euthanasia list. Christina Nielsen saw his post and was trying very hard to share him in hopes that somebody would see it and go get him. Either to adopt or rescue. Christina lives in San jose, which is conservatively 6 and 1/2 hours away from Apple Valley without traffic. She was not in a position to just pop over to the shelter and get him, nor was that her original intent.
As the days passed and Pebbles remained still at the shelter with no hope or interest, Christina became more vested in his outcome. She became desperate as the hours ticked down and no one was seeming to make any movement towards getting Pebbles out. No rescues were responding to her, no adoption applications were being submitted. She posted that she was willing to come down from San Jose to pick him up and take him anywhere if there was a rescue, foster or adopter interested. This itself was risky because someone could have expressed interest in this, but she wouldn't have been in a position to vet that person with an application. There are a lot of people that do this, rescue a dog on their own and then try to find a home, but they don't have the same vetting or resources in place like a rescue does. It's very risky for the dog.
I had worked with Christina before, and knew that she has been a long time supporter of rescues with her donations, including to me. I knew she was legit, but unfortunately I couldn't help her with Pebbles. I no longer have rescue rights at that shelter, I don't have a following for senior dogs and I don't have the resources to support a senior dog, which can be very expensive. The best I could do was explain to her what she could do from San Jose if she really wanted to save Pebbles. I understood, as I saw her posts becoming more emotional, that if she didn't do something this was going to be a situation that haunted her. If you've ever been involved in rescue or wanted to help a dog that you hoped someone else would step in for and then found out it lost its life, you don't let that go very easily. The hesitation to act and the resulting irreversible outcome always weighs on your heart. I didn't want her to sit in a place of frustration because she she didn't know what she could do if she wanted to do something more. So I laid out a path for her to take if she really wanted to save Pebbles. And she did it.
In the middle of the night Christina submitted an adoption application for Pebbles to the shelter. The important thing was for them to have it when they arrived first thing on Tuesday morning to see there was interest which would then pause his walk to the euthanasia room that morning. The shelter called her and told her there was somebody else who had expressed interest in rescuing Pebbles but they hadn't committed. But if she really wanted to get Pebbles out she needed to be ready to pick him up that day, and since it was an adoption because she's not a rescue she needed to be there in person. She checked flights from San Jose and saw the best option was to fly to Burbank, rent a car and drive 2 hours like a bat out of hell to get there in time. She waited until it was basically now or never, and when the person who had expressed interest never followed up she got on a plane and flew one way to go get Pebbles.
Her flight was uneventful, and arrived on time. She picked up the rental car and started driving east. Meanwhile I was emailing the shelter to let them know she was on her way and that she would be contacting them with an ETA once she knew it. A very nice staff person was working with her, and told her she would wait as long as she could so they could get Pebbles out alive. Christina made it a few minutes after the shelter had closed, but the staff member was watching for her. Pebbles got to live❤️
Christina drove Pebbles back home to San Jose overnight, and it was not easy. She stopped along the way and stayed in a hotel just to catch some sleep before driving the rest of the way. Pebbles was understandably confused and unsettled, but he was alive. She began reaching out to others and posting hoping maybe she could find somebody on her drive back that could take Pebbles. She didn't have a plan for him, and she wasn't sure what was going to happen next. I was trying to support her with some suggestions for strategies to manage Pebbles in her home, but she was exhausted and overwhelmed with everything that had just transpired.
Some people saw her post and decided instead of expressing gratitude for the efforts she just undertook to save a dog to berate her, to be judgmental about her plan and lack thereof, and basically bully her. I know the name of one particularly harsh person, and that person is a friend of mine, and Christina didn't deserve that. It was a ballsy effort on her part, probably not the most responsible one, but Pebbles will for the rest of his life benefit from her action. She did more than just post her thoughts and prayers that this dog gets rescued by "someone," she actually did something about it.
It's Thursday morning and Christina still has Pebbles. She is trying to manage this the best that she can, but she is not a wealthy person nor is she really in a position to take on medical costs for him as she assesses what his status and state are. She has an appointment for him to go to the vet today where she will have a full exam and a senior blood panel done. And will pay with her credit card for the service. She would really appreciate if another rescue, one that has a following for Senior dogs, could help. Or if there is somebody who wants to adopt a senior dog up in the San Jose / SF area, I can work with you to help Christina out.
In the meantime, I am trying to do a fundraiser for Pebbles to help with his medical costs. A senior exam and blood panel are not cheap, and I can post the invoice after he goes to the vet to at least show where we are starting. All donations received will go towards his costs.
Donations for PEBBLES from Apple Valley can be sent as follows:
www.kennels2couches.org
Zelle [email protected]
https://venmo.com/u/Robin-unander (no underscore after my last name, that's an imposter account)
https://www.paypal.me/kennels2couches
Kennels 2 Couches
PO Box 41821
Santa Barbara, CA 93140
Funds raised: $900❣️
