Rex Hohlbein 0:01

This podcast contains potentially sensitive topics and strong language. Listener discretion is advised.

Lora 0:12

And I know for us, we had people all the time coming up saying you need to surrender, you need to take your animals to the shelter, they can provide, you know, a better home for him. Especially you don't even have one right now. That fear. I mean, it's scary when you know, you have nothing. And you've got this precious dog that you just love so much. And here's some stranger coming up, or threatening you, or accusing you or telling you, this is what you need to do. The thought of losing one of my dogs like that are all of them. I mean, I can't express in words, how frightening it just fear. I was scared all the time that someone was going to come and take him away and say, you know, I was a bad person for having them out there. One

Rex Hohlbein 1:11

of the things that I hear a lot from people living inside is getting upset about people outside having animals. Right. Like, like, somehow they think it's wrong, or

Unknown Speaker 1:21

why people are homeless having dogs.

Rex Hohlbein 1:23

Yeah, because sometimes they feel like they're not being treated as they should or so well, yeah, you

Speaker 1 1:27

know, I used to think that too. You know, I used to think, okay, this person can't even take care of itself. Why does he have an animal? And I think, Okay, that was wrong than me. Because for the fact that, no, they're taking care of them. Because their best dogs are so cool, and they're there. And when you're mad, and they're there to make you happy there. You

Lora 1:50

know, the one thing that I tell people is that, honestly, in all 100% Honesty, we see some really ugly shit on dates. But for the most part, we see love and compassion. And for some people, the only love that they ever get is with that animal that's sitting at their feet. That's all they have.

Rex Hohlbein 2:22

I'm Rex Holbein and welcome to you Nomi. Now, a podcast conversation that strives to amplify the unheard voices in our community. For the past 12 years, I have met and spent a great deal of time with 1000s of folks living homeless. Through those conversations and friendships. I learned how destructive and baseless the dehumanizing effects of the negative stereotype are against ordinary people, people who, quite frankly, are just like you and me. In these episodes, I want to remind all of our listeners that the folks who share here, do so with a great deal of vulnerability and courage. They share a common hope that by giving all of us a window into their world, they're opening an increased level of awareness, understanding and connection within our own community. I want to begin with what I think is a truism. And that is, we all have issues. For some the issues are small and containable, while for others, the issues are big and overwhelming. Truth is though, we all struggle with something or some things. The problem with the bigger personal issues is that they can spill out into the public eye out behind closed doors. Those are really tough moments for folks trying to navigate not just their own feelings, but now also the feelings and judgments of others, people they might not even know. And we all get this we learn from an early age that you don't air your dirty laundry out in public, people, and entire families go to great lengths to hide their issues to make everything look normal. Now, consider what this means for those struggling through homelessness, where every aspect of their personal life is on full display. There are no closed doors to keep issues quiet behind. In this environment, the homeless receive a nearly constant stream of judgment from those that don't know them, or their circumstances. They hear. Why don't they pick up their garbage? And nevermind that there is nowhere to put it? Or if they can afford a cell phone. Why are they begging for money? Nevermind that the phone can be their only real connection to family, friends and services. And how can they take care of a dog when they can't even take care of them? Self. This last question is one we want to dive into with all of you. Today we're speaking with Laura Troncoso. She founded the Seattle dogs homeless program here in Seattle, and has helped 1000s of dogs and cats, as well as their owners who are living homeless. Laura is uniquely qualified to offer insight on this topic as she experienced homelessness as a child. And then again, as an adult with her own dogs. Now being housed, she spends all of her time doing street outreach. She is an extremely thoughtful, and knowledgeable person, and we're very happy, she agreed to speak with us. So

Lora 5:43

I was born in Oakland, California, at the Naval Hospital, to basically teenage mom and dad. My sister, Lisa is 13 months older. My mother was 17 when she had her so 18 with me, my dad was just a tad bit older, and he joined the Navy. When I found out she got pregnant and they got married. So and then shortly after I was born, my dad was killed by a drunk driver. He was riding his motorcycle was killed. We had come from California, back up here to Seattle, which is, you know, where my mom and dad were from. And my grandmother was here. We were here for a little bit. I don't have a whole lot of memory of it. And then my mother remarried. And he adopted me and Lisa, basically my whole childhood up until the point when eighth grade, I guess. We lived in a bunch of different states. He was in the oil business. And so he lived in Texas, California, Colorado, Arizona, Laura's

Rex Hohlbein 6:59

early childhood was very comfortable and stable. Her adopted father worked in the oil mining business and made good money, moving the family wherever the company needed his expertise. When Laura described how well off they were, she said they were Kardashian rich

Lora 7:17

Kardashian rich, we were betrayed, we lived in the best link when we moved, our house was built from the ground up. My mother chose every single detail that went into those houses, from the tile to the pain in anywhere

Rex Hohlbein 7:34

you guys rich, because your dad was just making that much money. Yeah,

Lora 7:38

he worked hard. You know, he got educated and he worked in earn the position that he was in. I didn't realize at the time growing up how it was. But yeah, we were really rich.

Rex Hohlbein 7:56

But not everything was as it seemed, on the surface. There were issues when

Lora 8:00

you look, you know, you walk down the street and you look in Windows, and things might look really pretty, but inside it could be something terrible, and ugly. And, and that's how it was we had Kardashian money. I mean, we had everything we could want, but he was very abusive. He needed a drink, he didn't do drugs, you know, you worked all the time. But they were just days when his temper would explode. And it was beyond a spanking. Talking about it in public was something you just didn't do. And then I had gone to school, you know, black, I must live in it. People would ask, you know, and then I'd have to put on this tough fix theory or and make something I just got in a fight at the park or something. You know, I kept thinking he chose us. We went to court. I remember very vividly sitting there and the judge talking to us and saying, you know, he wants to be your dad do you want him to be your dad? And so I thought man that's pretty cool. Somebody's just really wants us you know, we were still really young. But I thought Why does he do that then you know why to see I never saw myself doing something worthy of that brain.

Rex Hohlbein 9:42

Well, there's the truth is right. There's nothing a child can do that will be worthy of that. Yeah,

Lora 9:49

well in it is a strange to me because when he had children with my mother, so my younger brother and sister They weren't treated like that. Not ever, not once. And they, you know, to me, there was no difference between, you know, blood and water. He loves someone you love. And you care for him. You don't. You just don't do that.

Rex Hohlbein 10:21

These memories are still very raw for Laura. Just talking about it brought up emotions that overwhelmed her, even surprised her. She needed to take a moment to continue. Around ninth grade, Laura's mother filed for a divorce and moved back to Seattle where her own mother, Laura's grandmother lived. She

Lora 10:44

brought us kids. All four of us up here. My grandmother was here. We came here to Seattle. And boy, shit just got ugly from there.

Rex Hohlbein 10:58

Once again in Seattle, Laura's mom reconnected with a high school boyfriend and remarried almost immediately. It was an emotionally difficult and very disorienting time for both Laura and her sister Lisa, in their own ways of dealing with the built up trauma. Lisa decided to run away to California. And Laura, at the age of 14 moved out to live on the streets of Seattle.

Lora 11:24

And my mother never did anything to me. She never like you know, we talked bad to me. She'd never hit me My mother never, you know, did drugs or alcohol. You know, she didn't like ignore me or you know how some will maybe don't. But some women, they'll get with someone and they just shoved their kids to the side and you know life so great with the two of them. No kids, whatever. It and she wasn't ever liked that. I kind of felt like she had left Dad for us, for me and Lisa, is how I kind of to protect you. That's how I felt. And then when she got with the guy, I felt betrayed. I just felt like she did me dirty. And that's when I had gone. Well, my sister Lisa had already gone, ran away to California. And I tried being and it just it just didn't work for me. And I don't know why because like I said my mother and I were always really close. But I was just still so upset. And I ended up on the streets of Seattle. Wandering around. I had a choice. I could be on the streets. Or I could go with my mother who was now with her husband moving over to Clarkston, Washington, for God's sakes, there's only one stop sign one tree, and no buses

Rex Hohlbein 12:59

wasn't offering you a lot

Lora 13:03

to do with this. So I chose the street.

Rex Hohlbein 13:07

After a while. Laura Sister Lisa moved back to Seattle, as teenage girls living on their own trying to survive, trying to be all grown up. They were very vulnerable. This was the 1980s in Seattle, which had a darker underbelly to it. To get an idea of what Laura's life was like during that time. You can watch the legendary 1980s documentary streetwise that was filmed amongst the homeless youth in Seattle. So Lisa

Lora 13:37

had come back from California, and she was hanging out on the streets. And so I just naturally would hang with him. Yeah. And she'd tell him go home, go home, and be like, I don't have a home, can't go home nor you know, follow her around. And she just hung out on the block, you know, between first and second on pike Street was the primary location. She started working at different places. And I couldn't do that some of my friends could and I just couldn't. And so I thought when

Rex Hohlbein 14:24

when are we going in different places meaning dance places, places, prostitution,

Lora 14:29

a lot of girls did that. And you know what is so sick is I didn't think about it at the time when it's happening. And I've got friend after friend, you know, people that matter to me getting in cars with strangers. And unfortunately, some of them didn't come back the Green River Killer we know. Got a couple of them and you know other ones were it They just disappeared. I don't know where any of them ended up. He was a hard time knowing what they were doing to survive, and just to eat, or a lot of us would get together and get a motel room. And it's so funny in me when I'm thinking under 18, in a hotel

Rex Hohlbein 15:23

at 16, Laura became pregnant

Lora 15:26

after all, this awful life that I had now chosen, and I'm standing in a phone booth on the corner, you know, second and pike calling my mother crying, saying, you know, what am I going to do and, and then so my mother ended up coming to Seattle, and in then she rented me an apartment. Yeah, she actually went to the landlord and talked to him and so he gave me a little studio apartment up there on Summit and,

Rex Hohlbein 15:58

and, and did Lisa then crash at your place all the time, or

Lora 16:02

she was making pretty good money. She was working at a club on First Avenue, at the time called the lusty lady. She met a gal who had a friend who owned the Hippodrome, which was a concert venue. And so she did concerts with some big stars, like Billy Idol, and Duran Duran, stuff like that. So she did some pretty cool stuff. But she always fell back on the streets. So

Rex Hohlbein 16:35

Laura, you're 16, you're pregnant? Are you living alone in this apartment?

Lora 16:40

Well, for a moment, I had a boyfriend. Good Lord. And, and then he just had to go. And,

Rex Hohlbein 16:48

and were you making money? I mean, you know, well, I

Lora 16:50

had government money at the time, because my dad, my biological father had been in the service. And so there was money for me to live at the time. Yeah. A lot of times, people don't understand. But an example is someone, a girl that I helped for a long time, on the streets. She got a place to live. And she was barely 18 at the time. And every time we turn around, she was back in that damn tent. And what are you doing? You have an apartment? Why are you out here? Well, it's lonely there. And you can only have people come stay every once in a while. And, and I thought, like, That's the dumbest thing ever. Until I remembered, I did the same thing. You know, I remember doing that exact same thing at Yo, daddy. And

Speaker 2 17:45

I've heard that story actually quite a few times. Yeah. And it kind of makes sense, right? Like, it may be a dysfunctional community out on the street, but it's still a community, right? And you go inside, and you're, you're pretty isolated. Yeah. And you've been pulled away from that one community, and also community that might have been the first time that people around you actually, were being good to you, right?

Lora 18:08

And you feel guilt, because you got housed, and they didn't. So you have all of those mixed emotions running around. And, and so I was, you know, back on the streets running around.

Rex Hohlbein 18:25

Laura got involved with drugs. She began using meth and hallucinogens. At one point, a social worker at a drop in center where Laura occasionally hung out, sat her down for a talk,

Lora 18:37

he was looking at me, my belly is growing. And she's like, What are you going to do? You're going to be out here and be like, X, Y, and Z, and, you know, have a baby that you can never have. Or you can go home, because you actually can go home. And so I was like, Okay, you're right. And

Rex Hohlbein 19:00

so just you just needed to hear that.

Lora 19:02

Yeah, he loaded all my stuff in a little Volkswagen and drove my ass over the east. Sorry, over the east. Square on over the eastern Washington, your mom's to this? Yeah, Okey doke town she was living in and yeah, so I ended up

Rex Hohlbein 19:18

and that's where you had your child. Yeah. And was it a daughter? Is that Yeah. And I raised her. Laura did not stay long in eastern Washington back in Seattle. She followed her sister into the strip clubs to make better money so she could provide for her daughter.

Lora 19:34

I'd followed her to the clubs. You know, it's like Laurie you can make so much money you only have to work two days a week you've got a child take care of Baba Baba. So I did. And it was working a bit honeys. And you know, some girls did things extra and I didn't know I had worked at a Some of the clubs here and in Oregon, yeah, dancing, dancing. And the thing was that with a welfare check, it wasn't enough to rent any place. And then working in a club, nobody wanted to rent to us because there's a stigma attached to it. So here I am with this still really a baby. And we need to put food on the table. And so I can say, 100%, that I was respectful of myself and my body while working. And it wasn't a bad experience. It was way different for me, because I was always very shy when it comes to stuff like that. So I was able to really still hold my head, I was proud of what I was doing, because I was able to put a roof over my child's head had food on the table clothes on her back and keep her safe, you know, but the only place I could rent was hotel. And so I'd always find what you know, like with the kitchen and, and stuff. And that's where we'd have to live because they didn't care what I did, but a lot of apartments did.

Rex Hohlbein 21:19

And how long did you How long did you dance along? Was that? How

Lora 21:23

many about five years? Oh, a long time. Yeah. At

Rex Hohlbein 21:27

one point, Laura got in trouble with the law and ended up on probation. She recognized that it was time to change course.

Lora 21:34

I remember one day, I was just like, I don't want to do this. There's got to be something different for me. I was gonna do something with this whole shit show that I've created in my life. Well, I went from being in trouble to working for Gary Locke,

Rex Hohlbein 21:55

really, for those of you who might not know, Gary Locke, at the time, was the King County Executive. He later went on to become the 21st, governor of Washington State and then Secretary of Commerce under President Obama. Laura will tell you, it was the dumbest job she ever had. But it was a start a foot in the door. In no time. She knew her way around the King County Courthouse. And it turns out, it was a place she was pretty comfortable with being around people who were in and out of trouble. She was gaining confidence that she could create a new and different future for herself. Not long after, she heard of an opportunity at the Department of Corrections. She went in for an interview. They

Lora 22:39

ended up going for this interview. And it was my first experience knowing they have panels, you know, several people. So they asked me all these questions. And the one lady is looking at me nodding, yeah, this is great. And then somebody said, Have you ever been in trouble? And I said, Boy, he's like, well have you as well. I'm currently on supervision. And shortly after that, the interview concluded, and they're like, well, we'll get a hold of you. So I walked out of there. My attitude was good, everything was positive. I was very honest. And I left, and the next day, I got a call. And they said you got the job, oh my word. And I said, What? And they said you've got the job, but and I thought you're kidding. And she says if we don't hire you, and support you through what you've been through, we have no business. You know, doing what we're doing. Nice. And so they gave me a job. And what was the job? I was a corrections counselor there. Laura worked

Rex Hohlbein 23:50

at the DLC as a corrections counselor for years. Following that she became a youth counselor at the juvenile Center working with kids who committed first degree murder. She had found a calling and she was proud of it. You could hear it in her voice when she talked about fighting against some of the rules the state was trying to implement on where and how to house convicted juveniles. She put together a report to the Governor's Office specifically about sentencing guidelines. From there she went on to work at the juvenile prison at Indian ridge and later Snohomish County Juvenile center, and their parole office.

Lora 24:27

Yeah, so I ended up having a career. It was like man me. Me It's like if you knew the people I knew you would have thought

Rex Hohlbein 24:38

Yeah, snowball's chance. Yeah.

Lora 24:41

But it worked. And I was just always so proud. My grandmother, my mother, just proud of me and and then all of a sudden it's like it couldn't work. I just was sick all the time and tired, just Unbeliev evolute tired nicotine when the hell is going on here, and then I got diagnosed, they said I had I had had Hep C, where they say, oh, like I was stage one at the time. And I was like, This is stupid. And so my boyfriend at the time who he had had Hep C, and that's how I had gotten it. And I didn't, I wasn't aware of it. And then he had gone through this program, enter, interferon had just come out, and they were giving shots, and you had to give yourself shots in the stomach. And so he did that, and it got rid of his Hep C. But for me, the insurance wouldn't pay for it, they wouldn't pay for it, and they wouldn't pay for it. And so stage one comes and goes stage two, stage three. So by the time they finally approved it, because it's like, it's like almost $40,000 for 90 pills. That's crazy. Crazy. And so they finally approved it. And I had just been to the doctors, and they told me I was stage four, liver disease. And I was like, what? So what's the point of taking this medication? This will, studies have shown that if you take the medication and get rid of the Hep C, then it will slow the progression of the disease. So I went ahead, and I took the medication, and it did get rid of the Hep C. But all the damage had already been done. So at the time, right before they said I was stage four. We just ended up losing everything. You know, he had had a good job. And so you guys had a house that we and we had a house and we had a car up until like the week prior, it had broke down. But he ended because he was with the ironworkers union. And he ended up getting hurt. And he wasn't able to. He was getting some money, but it wasn't like matching the paychecks and stuff. And we felt too far behind. And all of a sudden, one day we were homeless.

Rex Hohlbein 27:37

We were homeless. Homeless. Yeah, as a grandmother, because they repossessed they took the House did the house you take everything you were with in Everett? Is that what you can for dogs? And what did you do? Is you go to a shelter or

Lora 27:52

no shelter would take this because they didn't take

Rex Hohlbein 27:54

dogs? Oh, yeah. That's coming up in our conversation. Yeah.

Lora 27:57

So we ended up sleeping in a carport. First night, I remember. It was so cold. It was this time of the year. And we had had like the first snow. And it was so cold outside. And I remember he got into a motel room, or not the room but like the laundry. And he got his a blanket and from the hotel and just snuck in and got it. Yeah. And boy was grateful. But that was just a punch in the gut. It's like, how do we move on? What do we do? How can we possibly do anything? And where do you go from there just spiraled even deeper? Because there was no money. There was nothing to fall back on. It was everything was John. It's

Rex Hohlbein 28:54

like he was injured you mistake. He was sitting and he had no savings.

Lora 29:00

We it was all gone. And what did we can do? And so ever it is not was not very welcoming at the time for people like us that were homeless struggling. So we came to Seattle. And it wasn't like when I was a kid. This was a whole different world in a different ballgame. And we didn't have the homeless issue that we have now.

Rex Hohlbein 29:26

So this was this was roughly eight, nine years ago this happened. Yeah. And that's a that's right about when the issue started to start to really get worse the issue of homelessness. I mean, it really was pretty quiet. It was city right up until the early teens of 2000. Yeah,

Lora 29:48

yeah, you didn't. You saw people that were homeless, but you didn't. They weren't everywhere. No, you is like here or there. And so we really felt like this stuck out like a sore thumb. And, you know, we had four dogs, one of them being a Newfoundland. And you know, so then we really stuck out. And, you know, we just couldn't catch a break. And there wasn't any place that we could turn.

Rex Hohlbein 30:16

So you you said your car had broken down. So you didn't you didn't even have a video and have a car. So where were you living when you were in Seattle,

Lora 30:23

in a tent, wherever we could.

Rex Hohlbein 30:25

Laura and her partner finally got a lucky break. They connected with an old friend that was living at the time in a duplex,

Lora 30:32

he was living in a duplex. And then they said, Oh, you know, the place downstairs is empty for rent. We did meet the landlord, we were able to, you know, work out a deal with him and move in. And then all of a sudden, oh, my god, talk about bad luck. All of a sudden, we're there. And the utilities got shut off. And I was like, What in the world is going on? So then I called the city and they said, Oh, they whoever owns that property, has not paid the utilities and, and the home is in foreclosure. And I thought, What the hell is this all about? And so I called them, of course, he wasn't going to turn anything back on. Laura

Rex Hohlbein 31:27

managed to get some help some legal help to force the landlord to turn on the utilities. The landlord was trying to weasel out.

Lora 31:35

And he was trying to tell him that we didn't rent that. And he says, Lord, do you have anything, anything with this man's handwriting on it that shows like how much you paid or how much you owe? And I said, I do have that because he wouldn't give us a lease. But I did have that. And so he told the guy. Well, he really told the guy, and then he made him turn all the utilities and stuff back on. But the house had been foreclosed on. And so we were able to get help. They have some type of program, if somebody if the house went into foreclosure. Yeah.

Rex Hohlbein 32:15

And you were renting the right to no fault of your own, you were being kicked out? Yes,

Lora 32:19

because it taken. So literally a year had gone by when that happened. And we were finally in a place. And we could have our dogs there to

Rex Hohlbein 32:33

make the monthly rent. Laura got help from her mother, and grandmother, and some from her partner, who was able to take on side jobs.

Lora 32:41

The guy he ended up not charging too much, probably because place was in foreclosure. But I think we were in paying like $900 a month, but you are making it work. But we made it work in my grandmother, she helped my mother helped is like, Okay, once you have a roof over your head, then you can really start putting things together for making plans. Yeah. And I still didn't know how I was going to do anything. But at least there was some money coming in. And then all sudden, we were homeless again, with that foreclosure, and we were back out on the streets, because even though we had the money, we still had four dogs. So nobody wanted to rent to us for that. And we'd already lost everything. So our credit wasn't that great. And then finally, one day, I don't know what the heck I was doing. But we used to take our dogs over to the Belltown Park. And I was looking at that hotel right there on the corner. And oh, it looked like it was you know, the four seasons. It was just beautiful and big and expensive looking. But I went in and I talked to a lady that was working. And she says, Well, you know, we take dogs on her first floor, we've got like five units. And we'll have one coming up next week. And I was like, okay, we can we can figure this out of this. And so we ended up finally getting into a place and you know, it's small and all you get his little cook plate but they accepted our dogs. And then every month when I'd give her the money, she would give me back $100 to go and buy pet food. Oh yeah, that's beautiful. We live in we ended up living there for a year.

Rex Hohlbein 34:35

And how long was it that you were outside when you got booted out of the house before you found this show? Probably

Lora 34:40

so the first time it was a year and then the second time after we got into that place and got out it was six months at least and then we were finally

Rex Hohlbein 34:52

finally back inside and that can tie and how long did you stay there

Unknown Speaker 34:56

a year

Rex Hohlbein 34:59

after For a year at that apartment, Laura and her partner found a cheaper place at a motel on Aurora Avenue. It would turn out though, that they were there for only a short while. In the room next to theirs, a husband killed his wife, and then himself. By the time it was discovered, the odor had permeated into their own room, and all of their belongings. They grabbed some clothes, a blanket there for dogs, and walked out the door, the frantic search was back on to find a roof over their heads. Finally,

Lora 35:31

finally, finally, finally, I ended up getting a place right off Aurora. And we had our dogs who, by now, we're all getting old. But that's where everything finally came together. For me. I was like, I know what it's like to be homeless. And I know what the need is out there. Because I had one been out here with my animals. So I knew everything, the stigma, and the struggle, things that people say and do to an animal owner. And I knew what it was like to need food. I knew what it was like to split that hamburger with my dogs. And so I didn't have barely any money at all, but I would go buy one bag of pet food. And half the time, I'd beg and beg for a metro driver to drive me downtown. But I'd ride downtown and I quickly find someone that needed a bag of food. And then it just snowballed from there. Well,

Rex Hohlbein 36:40

with her housing stable, Laura found a new calling her own journey had opened her up to the struggle of pet owners living homeless. She knew it intimately, and she was going to do something about it. With her modest resources, she began to deliver food and supplies to folks with pets living on the street,

Lora 36:58

as we were able to kind of put a little bit more money aside. And by that, I'm talking just a few dollars. I didn't have much, but I felt like I had a lot. Anyhow, I grabbed, you know, maybe the next month, I'd be able to do two bags a week instead of just one. And in the nights. There's an old dog and he can't eat dry food. So I need to meet him needs a treat. You really should have a toy. I think it needs a blanket.

Rex Hohlbein 37:32

You know, so one thing leads to another and it

Lora 37:37

it went crazy. I thought boy, this is great. It made me feel whole. You know what I mean? Like, I love being a mother being a grandmother. But I was always missing something. And, of course, I liked what I did when I was working. But to be able to do that was great.

Rex Hohlbein 37:59

In 2015, Laura received a small inheritance from her adopted father, she bought a car, paid bills and the rent for a whole year. She also had an agreement with a veterinary clinic, the Greenwood animal hospital, where she sent people to get emergency help with their pets. She was able to get that account paid up as well. And last but not least, she rented a storage unit and started to fill it up with dog food and supplies.

Lora 38:28

I'm just filling it up with everything that I need. You know, because that's what we dealt with was dogs. There wasn't anything else that we were seeing out there. But yeah, I did all that for a year. stuff was full length was great. And then I ran out of money. And I was like, I'm done. I have not even became this 501 C three that people talk about. And I didn't think that it was really important, you know, but then all of a sudden, there's no money. And this sucks, you know, just sucks. Really bad. And

Speaker 2 39:06

let me guess why it sucks? Because you've probably also made friendships and connections. Yes, with people outside. They've come probably in a way to depend on you. Right. And now you were

Lora 39:18

out of money. Yeah. And when am I going to do? At this

Rex Hohlbein 39:22

point, Laura came to the realization that she needed to turn her efforts into a 501 C three nonprofit problem was she had no idea how to do it. Man,

Lora 39:32

I thought can I configure and figure out in fender score, I can figure out what the RC W's are, but I can't figure this shit out for nothing. So I was like, I don't know what I'm gonna do. And I was talking to a lady. I had met on Facebook and she said, You need to come on Facebook and tell people what you need. And I was like, people don't care. She's like, you need to tell your story. And I was like, seriously, I know what it's like out there and people do not give you shit about people that are homeless having, you know animals. And she said, Well, that might be true. But people do care about animals. And importantly, they do care about you. So people will help. And I thought, This bitch is crazy. Nobody's going to help me. And so I finally sucked it up. And I put out a post and I was like, son of a bitch. People actually helped. And I was like, Okay, this can work. And then I met this lady out in February, she runs Puget Sound, Pet Food Bank is what it's called. And oh, my gosh, this woman, she just inspired me. And I fell in love with her. And we talked a lot. And she says, I'm gonna help you become a 50123. And I was like, I don't know what to do. And she's like, I'm going to help you where nobody else would, for her to tell me that not only was she going to help me do it, but she was going to help me do the paperwork. And I was like, Oh, my gosh. So I did. And then it got accepted. And I thought, Oh, my God, now we're

Rex Hohlbein 41:19

off to the races. Here we go. Yeah. So Laura, explain what it is you do. So we

Lora 41:24

do street outreach. So we go out and do the pet food supplies, we provide that access to our vets for emergency vet care, which is, you know, any emergency that is going on with your animal, meaning

Rex Hohlbein 41:41

if one of the folks that you know that's living outside has a pet and their pet has some emergency, some medical emergency, they can contact you and you will authorize him to see our vet, and your vet, will they charge for that? Or they do Yeah. And

Lora 41:57

they give us a nice discount, I see. But it and we're allowed a running tab. But it still at the end of the day has to be paid. And that primarily is funds. So pretty much 90% Is all donor based. There's just no grant or we haven't received, we have received some grants, but we haven't received large enough grants to cover these things. So I just hope and pray a lot because it saves lives. And not just animals, but the persons too. And so vet care is really important. And then we do boarding so that if an owner who's homeless wants to go to drug treatment, alcohol treatment, they want to start work, or they end up having to go to the hospital, then we're able to board their dogs for them. So that they can be reunited, I

Rex Hohlbein 42:59

have heard so many people on the street that won't go into treatment, because they're afraid that they'll lose their pet. Yeah. And, and that's more important to them in that moment. Yes. And

Lora 43:10

I know what it's like to be in that position, and needing the help needing someone to watch your animals. But so afraid that, you know, you're going to come back tomorrow, and they're not going to be there, you know, for whatever reason, they'll be gone. And so it's important to me, that whoever we deal with, there's a trust is also a contract that lets them know that, you know, you do what your what your say you're going to do. And we'll do what we say we're going to do. And by that we have had people that go to treatment, and they leave after a few days. And that's okay. They tried and it's their journey. And as long as they're able to sustain the emotional and physical relationship with their animal. We're cool with it. But we we want them to succeed. Yep. And being able to see that.

Rex Hohlbein 44:14

That's the good stuff. I have my wife and I have had a number of dogs stay at our house. Right? Yeah, very similar situation you're talking about. And several times I've had the individual just before, right, I leave with the dog. They look at me, just with everything they have and say you're gonna you're gonna let me have my dog back. Right? Yeah. And they're so afraid that you know, that might I might be someone that would just get to know their dog love their dog. And when it comes time to give them back that I wouldn't, right. It's such a fear and yeah, to be able to do it through an organization like yours like yours. I'm sure that helps that trust happen. Yeah, much more easily.

Lora 44:58

And you know, we're all are like we do supplies and food for the kennel. But that kennel space is donated to us. And so would we do we prefer foster homes? Yes. But they're difficult to get. We do keep separation between. So like, if you were fostering, I have a relationship with you, but you don't have the relationship with the person. Because we found that that works best for the time that we're dealing with. Doesn't mean it will always be that way. But it works. And so we rather animals be in a home than in a kennel. But still have that available to us?

Rex Hohlbein 45:47

Yeah, yeah, that's beautiful. Can you tell me a little bit now about some of the stigma around people that are homeless, owning pets, like, you know, and, and I could list those off too, but I really want to hear you talk about it. And, and then maybe we can talk about, you know, the myth of, of, you know, what people are seeing and hearing and feeling about those that are owning pets that are homeless,

Lora 46:16

you know, because I dealt with it firsthand. I know what my experience was, if you're out panhandling, and you've got your animal, your dog with you, there's somebody, and now with social media, you're screwed, because people take those images, and then be like, That person is out there panhandling with that dog. And all they want is money for drugs, or, you know, alcohol, whatever, and the dogs in danger. And, you know, somebody's usually not the person posting, but somebody needs to go and save this animal. You know, the animals being physically abused, is what the thought is, even though, thank you, that's the word, even though they've never seen sign of that. And I know, for us, we had people all the time coming up saying you need to surrender, you need to take your animals to the shelter, they can provide, you know, a better home for them. Especially you don't even have one right now. That fear. I mean, it's scary when you know, you have nothing. And you've got this precious dog that you just love so much. And here's some stranger coming up, threatening you, or accusing you or telling you, this is what you need to do the thought of losing one of my dogs like that, or all of them. I mean, I can't express in words, how frightening it just fear, I was scared all the time that someone was going to come and take him away and say, you know, I was a bad person for having them out there. So everybody's constantly looking in on your life and deciding what it's like at that moment. And that you're not the type of person that deserves an animal,

Rex Hohlbein 48:18

it's just seems so hurtful to when that animal is, like, so dear and important to you. And then you're being told that you're not doing a good job,

Lora 48:29

right? And it's like, I'm, I'm doing the best I can. For me, it was like, It's not about money. You know, you I mean, you need the money like to buy the pet food and stuff like that. But it's more than that. It's a relationship, it I can tell you everything about each one of them and their own, you know, personalities and have I even had a dog that actually thinks it's a dog and he needs bear like people you know, and kind of like talk shit to me once in a while. It's like, Y'all need to stop, you know, they have personalities. And when you have a dog or a cat, you have a relationship with them. And if you don't, frankly, shouldn't happen. And

Rex Hohlbein 49:19

and how important was that to you outside for you when you're homeless? Like Like, what did that mean? If you didn't have those animals, what would have had been a different experience

Lora 49:29

it would have been I can tell you if somebody would have taken them or if I would have lost them. I would have snowballed so far into despair and destruction. It wouldn't have been but a glimmer of hope that I made it out because they were everything to me. It allowed me to keep pushing forward and kept trying, you know, just trying to do better trying to stay focused, trying to stay clean and sober, trying to make it better for them. And in the end for me, but I can imagine not having them. You know, the one thing that I tell people is that, honestly, in all 100% Honesty, we see some really ugly shit some days. But for the most part, we see love and compassion. And for some people, the only love that they ever get is with that animal that's sitting at their feet. That's all they have. This is your partner. This is your child. This is your best friend. This is the person that never judges you that loves you unconditionally.

Rex Hohlbein 51:05

I've heard that so many times. The words my best friend, yeah. When when talking about their animal, their pet, their dog, typically when they're on the street, you know, it's my best friend.

Lora 51:18

Yeah. And some people bullshit. But wait a minute, you're on Facebook, and you just did a post saying that me my best friend just went hiking. But that person isn't allowed to have a best friend because they're homeless.

Rex Hohlbein 51:38

Laura has helped countless people with pets living on the streets. I asked her if I could talk with a few of them to hear their perspective.

Melissa 51:45

I just want to thank her, you know, for always been there. She's a good woman.

Rex Hohlbein 51:50

Please meet Melissa. She lives in an RV in the Beacon Hill neighborhood. She has two dogs and a cat and lives as a single woman by choice. Melissa grew up in Moses, Lake Washington, in an abusive household. Most of the relationships in her life have had a strong domestic violence side to them. Melissa also got involved with drugs, and has spent time in jail. She's had a tough life, which is taking a turn for the better. She has been drug free now for five years, which we did a spontaneous high five over. I asked her what her animals mean to her. Have you always been a dog lover?

Melissa 52:26

Always. I've always I don't remember ever a time in my life not having a dog. My grandparents had dogs. My mom had dogs. And these dogs Oh, they've they've saved my life. You know, then there's been a couple times where you're just really wanting to kill myself and and then I think no, I can't because who's gonna take care of my dogs? You know, I mean, nobody can take care of them like me. I just I love my dog. I mean, I've had her she's she's six and a half. I've had her since she was born. I picked her out the day she was born.

Rex Hohlbein 52:58

So how did you first meet Laura

Melissa 53:02

fat girl got really sick. She was every time she would urinate. There was massive amounts of blood. And I was just I didn't have I wasn't working. I was living in a fed and, and I didn't know what to do. And so I started looking on all these different websites and trying to find help. I found Laura's, I think it was Laura's website. And I called her in and explained to her what was going on. And she immediately she you know, we took her she didn't let me take her into the vet to see what what was wrong. And she had formed crystals on her bladder and the way the vet described it is there like actual crystals. So as they're going down the bladder wall, they're cutting it. That's, that's why we're all the blood. Why

Rex Hohlbein 53:51

are dogs or cats so important to people that are homeless for people that are homeless on the streets? Or in RVs? Like you are? What Why is it so important to have an animal companionship

Melissa 54:01

and, and sometimes, you know, security, like, you know, she scares a lot of people off, you know, I've been there situations where I felt like I was kind of in a really scary situation. And but then when they see my big dog, you know, then they back up and they're like, whoa, whoa, you know? So, especially being a woman, especially being a woman, yes. And and they're your dad, she's my best friend. She loves me regardless, even if I yell at her five minutes later, she's already forgotten about it. And, you know, labs mean, no matter what,

Rex Hohlbein 54:36

what do you say to people good, that might say, and there are those out there that do say this, I'm sure you're aware of it, but that say, well, that person can barely take care of themselves. They shouldn't have an animal. I'm sure they're not taking care of that animal. What would you say to that person?

Melissa 54:51

These these are like my children, you know, I mean, and, and they're probably you know, I mean, I know they're probably right, you know, I probably don't need to have an animal because I can barely take care of myself. But she knows she's there for protection. She's ever I talked to her I, you know, I cry on her shoulder I, when I'm sick, she likes me on my face and you know, helps me feel better and but

Rex Hohlbein 55:13

do you? Do you feel that you do take good care of them?

Melissa 55:17

I do. I do. I they eat before I do. I mean, I make sure they have food before I do. To those people that you know, I mean, because I do get it a lot. You know, I mean, like, you can't even afford to feed yourself. And by the way, why would you have an animal and? Well, I mean, when I got her I wasn't homeless, and I you know, kind of somewhat ahead of him. I had a life and and, but I wouldn't give her up for the

Rex Hohlbein 55:45

world. Yeah. And like you said, you feed your animals before you feed yourself. Yeah. Yeah. And you think that that kind of protection is kind of like a mama bear like you use you see them as, as your kids and you take care of him in the same way?

Melissa 56:00

Yeah, I sure do.

Speaker 1 56:01

I love her very much. And for the fact that how much he's taking care of my dogs, and me, because she's take care of my dog. She's taking care of me. Because my dogs take care of me and they wouldn't be around. And that's because of her that my dogs are, are still with me. Please

Rex Hohlbein 56:26

meet Ken. He lives in a small 60s trailer parked in the Soto neighborhood alongside some semi trucks, one of which he keeps an eye on for the owner. Ken grew up in Seattle, and he has struggled with alcohol since he was eight years old. He'll tell you openly that pretty much all of his troubles have stemmed from his alcoholism. He managed to keep employment, most of his life but a host of mental health issues surfaced 12 years ago after he quit drinking. Alcohol had been his coping mechanism. Since then, he's had trouble getting the needed services and struggles to just get by. I asked Ken about Laura, and what she means to him and his dogs. When did you meet? Laura?

Speaker 1 57:10

I was about seven years ago through you. You gave me because I asked. I guess we're talking about the dogs and about the food. You know, it's it's hard to it's getting harder to feed them. And he said, Hey, I know this lady from Seattle dogs. And she helps people with animals. So I said okay,

Rex Hohlbein 57:33

yeah, I didn't remember actually that that that I had her do ski did.

Speaker 1 57:38

So she gave me her number. And I never called her. And because you know, I was doing okay with the food, you know, getting on with it. And then I had a friend that went to her. He met her. And he told me then he told me about her.

Rex Hohlbein 57:57

Yeah, now you heard it twice.

Speaker 1 58:00

Yeah. And at that time, I said, Oh, cool. Okay, that time I really needed it. And so, I he gave me her number and I called her up. She came right down with dog foods. And she says anything else you need for them. So she gave me like leashes? She gave me two toys for them a bunch of treats. You know? I mean, she gave me the kibble and the soft food. And that's this is her the way she does it. If you need her and you can't make it to where she's at. She'll come to you. She's been taking care of my dogs. Yeah. I mean, she's like the silent partner with helping me feed my dogs. If something happens, taken to the vet, yeah, she does all that. And then she gets online and she gets she, you know, she does a lot trying to get along. Yeah. And then she gets people to donate, you know, to help her donuts. But it's not a whole lot of people. But you know, the donation that goes to her she's like a nonprofit, she don't get no money. And then she, a lot of times she pays out of her pocket. I believe dogs are better than people. Because they got this love for you. That's unconventional. When when I was little, if I would accidentally hurt my dog. Like one time I was coming inside and I shut the door, but I shared it on my dog's keel and he screamed, and I sat there and cried. Because those dogs are awesome. I mean, they're just they're the best things for kids. They're my way they call that emotional support and emotional support. That's what I was looking for. getting emotional support, and it's so awesome because they're the ones keeping me going. They're the ones keeping me alive. One

Rex Hohlbein 59:55

of the things that I hear a lot from people living inside is they get all up in there. emotions about getting upset about people outside having animals. Right. Like, like, somehow they think it's wrong or why people

Unknown Speaker 1:00:10

are homeless having dogs. Yeah. Because sometimes they feel like

Rex Hohlbein 1:00:13

they're not being treated as they should or so can you? Can you talk about that? Well, yeah, you

Speaker 1 1:00:18

know, I used to think that too, but then it's, you know, I used to think, okay, this person can't even take care of itself. Why does he have an animal? You know, even he's not being able to take good care of that animal because he can't take care of results. And I think, Okay, that was wrong with me. Because for the fact that they're not they're taking care of them. As much as they are the owner, the master is taken care of, because they're the best dogs are so cool. And they're there. And when you're mad, and they're there to make you happy there. Yeah.

Rex Hohlbein 1:00:56

And do you think it's true that people for the most part that are outside with dogs do a good job of caring for them? Because of the love they have for them?

Speaker 1 1:01:05

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. That's where Lori comes into. Because she's there for the park that that person can't take care of. I mean, the homeless really can't take your dog to the vet. Sometimes they can't get the food for them. She's there to help them with that. I mean, she's a God sent out here. What are

Rex Hohlbein 1:01:30

all the things that cheese helps you guys with your dogs and you,

Speaker 1 1:01:34

the vet, I had a dog, his name was Axl, he had this big tumor on top of his head. And she goes, it can take him to the vet, I'll send a roof or sending referrals saying it's okay. And we'll take care of the Seattle dogs will take care of the bill. And oh, okay. kind of freaked me out. And so I was kind of unsure, but I went up there. And sure enough, that happened. And she's, she's been taken care of people, tells people to go there, and she takes care of the bill. And then if you know if people can throw in some, you know, some money and stuff, they do that. But a lot of times they can't. And she, she goes, she makes it happen. She makes it happen. And I'm so grateful for that lady. There. I appreciate her a lot for what time that I'm going to be spending with her. And I always think about her no matter what happens. Anything I can help her with I do it. I mean, she had to move storages. And so I was there to help her along with a few other people. Yeah, I wish I could do more, but I can't.

Rex Hohlbein 1:02:50

Yeah, you're you're scraping to make things work. Yeah. amongst yourself. Yeah. For those that see themselves as animal lovers, for many, there is an immediate negative reaction when seeing folks living on the streets with their pet. This is especially so when drugs are involved. I asked Laura, her thoughts on the part animals play for those addicted to drugs.

Lora 1:03:12

While we do see a lot of drug addiction, sadly, and we're dealing with that and trying to reach as many people as we can. We know that there are people that are drug addicted or alcohol addicted. But they're still able to have a relationship with their animal and feel and receive love. If you took away the animal just because someone is using drugs, you're making the wrong choice, because they're not going to want to get better and they're not going to feel like they're worthy of getting better. Because you just took away the only thing that actually keeps them going. It's not the needle and spoon. It's that animals it's there. The love, and a lot of people don't understand that and, and I try to tell people as well that being involved with rescue, I sadly see it even more so. But majority of our cases for abuse come from people that are housed. I

Rex Hohlbein 1:04:31

was just going to actually want you to talk about that. I'm glad you brought it up that the people I've met outside that have had pets. I see a relationship that is tighter than typically I see with owners that are housed and that's not to say that there aren't amazing homeowners that just have these beautiful relationships with their dogs. But I what I do see a lot of is dogs in the backyard and chain link fence owner goes off to work gone 10 hours comes back, has has a few hours, and then goes asleep and repeats the process versus people that are outside or with their animals. 24/7. And I think about the emotional psychology of that. And where would the dog rather be?

Lora 1:05:18

Exactly. And it's sad because people, not all people, but some people want to be so quick to judge the person who doesn't have the curtains to close. But then their neighbor who's been, you know, chaining the dog outside with no shelter, no, you know, water and stuff. They've sat there in March that shit going for years and done nothing until somebody else posted about it. Yeah, that's the negative stereotype against homelessness. Yeah. And it happens a lot.

Rex Hohlbein 1:05:52

What would you say to, to a person that was sitting here with us, or listening to this podcast that, that loves dogs, loves animals, but is really bothered when they see a dog next to somebody that's that's flying a sign or outside of a tent? Or, you know, what would you say to them? What would How would you appeal to the feelings that they're having in that moment?

Lora 1:06:21

Well, I think first for me is, you know, stop and talk to him. Ask, are you going to come across somebody who's an asked to you sure that you come across that in everyday life? So why not take a chance? Keep, you know, keep your distance, because you never know what a dog is, like when they're out there. But, you know, stop and find out. Don't just take a picture and post and send the world crashing at their feet, because you're causing us Seattle dogs issues, and your cousin the person issues when it might not be what you're imagining in your mind.

Rex Hohlbein 1:07:12

And you haven't done anything to better the situation. Right? I I think you're amazing. I love you. I'm I'm just amazed about your life journey. And how you just I don't know how you can push through all that. And then come out the other side and be doing this amazing, selfless work. And you're also can I say this? You're not? You're not getting rich doing this? Yeah. You're living month to month? Yes.

Lora 1:07:43

And poor. You're poor. I actually had a lady that rents a very well, she since passed, but a very successful rescue. And she was talking to me one day, and she's like, What the hell are you doing? And I was like, what? And she's like, What the hell are you doing? You don't, you're helping people, homeless people, you're helping their animals. You're doing all this stuff. You are poor. And I was like, I know, you don't want to be yelling at me, then I'm poor, just like that. You're poor. Why are you helping people? You need to keep that for yourself. And I said, you know, reality is, I don't know what day I'm going to pass away. But I do know that I'm literally living while dying. And this keeps me going. It's like,

Rex Hohlbein 1:08:39

and you are, you are really loved by people on the streets. Do you have some? You have?

Lora 1:08:46

Very much. Yeah, some of them kind of keep me right, keep them and you know, I am blessed. am blessed. I am poor, but I am. I am blessed and

Rex Hohlbein 1:08:59

you've created those blessings. I will say you really have. It

Lora 1:09:04

is pretty crazy. When when I list it all, you know, this is what we do. And it also literally started with one bag of Purina pet food, not even five pounds because they couldn't afford more than that. But when I look at what I do, and then not having, you know, this big umbrella of cash above me, that's man, that's pretty effing cool. Yeah, I need the help. They need the help. You know, if we don't help each other. What do we do it? You know, can't walk through life being a selfish asshole. You know, I had everything right. Beautiful home beautiful things. And I worked hard to get everything and then it was gone. Our life amounts to in the end is it you know, we really We can't take anything with us when we go. You know what I mean? Yeah,

Rex Hohlbein 1:10:05

but we're but when we go, you know, all that stuff that we accumulated is just sitting on the shelves, but the lives of the people that we've gotten close to those are sitting inside of us. Yeah, they I do think we take those with us. You

Lora 1:10:19

know, helping people, even just a little bit is good. You know, a pebble of dog food can build a bridge, man.

Rex Hohlbein 1:10:28

I asked Laura, what is next for her as she continues to do her important and loved street outreach.

Lora 1:10:35

I have stage four cirrhosis of the liver. And I'm terminal for that for that terminal. And so every six months, I go, I have to go the doctors, they monitor it, and then they watch for any type of cancer popping up in there. They won't put me on a liver transplant. Because I don't have any money. That's what it all boils down to is money. Always the medication that could have saved my life originally was denied. Stage four. They're like, Oh, here you go. Yeah, you can have it. Seattle judge ruled that nobody could ever be denied that medication again. But it didn't help me. Even if we could find a donor. They won't. They won't pay for it. Wow. And I just don't understand. Oh, my dreams not finished though. I don't want one a day. So I just I look in the mirror and some days I see it. I just have not done.

Rex Hohlbein 1:11:53

Done. Yeah, that's clear.

Lora 1:11:56

Yeah, I have a plan for Seattle dogs and not done. If

Rex Hohlbein 1:12:01

you would like to help Laura with her mission, the most immediate need is to help pay down what is owed to the Greenwood Animal Hospital. Best is to contact them directly letting them know you would like to pay towards Seattle dogs. outstanding bill. We've included contact info to the hospital as well as Laura's nonprofit organization on our website.

Speaker 3 1:12:22

I can never rest I just want to be the best people used to doubt me now. The NBA is my success started with a dream everything that I created a legend in the making really there may no debate

Rex Hohlbein 1:12:37

you know me now is produced, written and edited by Tomas Vernadsky. And me Rex Holbein. We would like to thank Laura, Melissa and Ken for taking the time to speak with us. You know me now has a Facebook and Instagram page where you can join in on the conversation. We also have a website at WWW dot you know me now.com Where you can see photos of the dogs that Laura helps as well as their human companions. We also have stories of other folks we feel you should get to know. Thanks as always for listening