It’s an overcast day at Surf City shopping center in Huntington Beach, with a hint of salty spray in the air. The outdoor seating area that overlooks the iconic pier begins to fill with hungry patrons, the calm before the storm that signals an impending lunch rush.
Until Debbie Pearl arrives.
Escorted by four dogs in wheelchairs, Pearl expertly maneuvers her way to one of the tables and sits down, making sure that each dog has been accommodated with water before settling into her seat. She refers to these dogs as her Unstoppables, an international team of disabled dogs that have become local celebrities.
Although only four are there that day, she has six team members in all — Zeek, Peedy, Pop, Sydney, Eddie and Elliot. Two are from Mexico, one is from Curaçao, and the newest recruit is from Egypt. But it all started with little Eddie, the OG member of the Unstoppables. Now seven, he’s the littlest but wields a big personality. The others are younger and range in age from one to three years old.
Two of the dogs have prosthetics; the others rely on wheelchairs to get around. Their origin stories are similar, stemming from various degrees of abuse and neglect. But they’ve somehow managed to forgive humans, and according to Pearl, they have lessons to teach and wisdom to share.
“I decided to call them the Unstoppables Dogs because nothing stops them. It doesn’t matter. We go to the beach, they run through the waves. Go on the hiking trails, they go over rocks and boulders and through the wilderness. They’ll walk seven, eight miles. They’re all about every activity. And they have one speed — and that’s fast.”
Instant connections
Pearl started out as an animal trainer for the movie industry, and she formed her nonprofit Dream Fetchers in 2005. She started taking what she refers to as her celebrity dogs to children’s hospitals, and found that Joey, one of her three-legged dogs, seemed to especially connect with the children. Pearl says he was always the favorite.
“I could just see how the children were attached to him. He didn’t know tricks. He didn’t do anything but hop on his three legs. But the kids could relate to that. And I saw the power that was there.”
Then Eddie was rescued, and Pearl decided to bring him into her program as a therapy dog because she felt he could inspire a lot of children as well as adults. As word spread, people started contacting her, sending photos of dogs who were both severely disabled and survivors of abuse.
“Fast forward again, here I have six, all with disabilities. But they are all living their best lives. They’ve all come through everything that’s been done to them. But yet they still love people.”
And the people love them. Lynn Belkin, Pawprints program coordinator at Boston Children’s Hospital, feels that Pearl and her dogs bring “enchanted moments into the hospital setting,” and provide “a respite for the stress and sometimes traumatic sense of hospitalization.”
Pearl also recently started working with Easterseals, which provides community services for disabled individuals. “The message that we try to spread to people with disabilities is that it doesn’t matter — what you have, what you were born with, what’s going on, never let anyone tell you that you can’t do something.”
What might feel like a pyramid of platitudes for some has instead become gospel for Pearl.
“I always say, ‘no limits, no boundaries.’ I love that they are powerhouses. And they inspire others to do the same, whether it be to just never give up hope. There are so many lessons they teach about forgiveness, because they have all forgiven. They give people hope, they inspire, so many things.”
Joie de vivre
But does rescuing a dog, particularly one that is disabled, really affect their quality of life?
“Assuming the dog is taken into a good home with appropriate resources, I believe the quality of life for these types of dogs should increase,” says Dr. Mindy Waite, certified dog behaviorist at SeniorTailWaggers.com. “This is because most owners will build major accommodations into their lives for their beloved dogs, which rescues and shelters often can’t do due to sheer volume and cost. Owners will provide critical accommodations like appropriate medications and veterinary care, ramps, wheelchairs and behavioral management.”
Pearl has done all of that and more. She admits that they all require a lot of work. “Each one is slightly different. Like dogs with spinal cord injuries, a lot of times they’re incontinent.”
Whether it’s swim therapy or rehab to improve their mobility and build strength, or getting them fitted with wheelchairs, she relies on online donations to support the dogs. “There’s a lot involved with their care — the diapers, baby wipes, supplements, bandages to protect their feet, toys, dog food.”
And the tradeoff?
“I think I see the world differently now,” Pearl says earnestly, her eyes sparkling. “I was always a compassionate person. But I think it’s brought my level of compassion to a different level. And when I look at people, I try to always think that you never know what somebody’s going through. It doesn’t matter what you see on the outside, there could be all kinds of things.”
Dr. Waite believes that the Unstoppables are not necessarily the exception to the rule.
“Socialization and learning history are really important shapers of adult dog behavior,” she says. “However, genetics plays a huge role, too. It makes me wonder if these dogs started with some great behavioral genetics, which allowed them to bounce back easier than other dogs in the same situation.”
Dr. Paola Cuevas, a veterinary consultant at the pet supply company Hepper, agrees.
“Once a dog learns that you are family, they are forever loyal and have a unique way of showing gratitude that makes it clear we still have a lot to learn from their huge lesson on forgiveness. These dogs are a great example of getting up and facing life challenges with new hopes and new perspectives.”
Pearl’s strategy is simple. “I look at it like we’re a team. They expect me to be the best I can be. And I expect them to be the best they can be.”
Say cheese!
When it comes to the dogs, Pearl sees herself more as a supporting actor while her dogs are the stars. She set up an Instagram account (@theunstoppabledogs) with the sole intention of spreading joy and documenting their lives. The account has swelled to more than 105,000 followers, and she has also collaborated on a children’s book series featuring the dogs. The first book, “The Unstoppables,” was released last year. She also works with Cuddly, an online fundraising organization, to help raise money to cover expenses.
And when it comes to her hopes for their future? She’d like to eventually take the dogs on a nationwide tour, so that they can visit children’s hospitals all over the country. A motor home was donated to Dream Fetchers; Pearl just needs a sponsor to help her take the show on the road.
It doesn’t take long before other passersby take out their smartphones and start snapping photos of the dogs waiting patiently by Pearl’s side. One woman walks over and asks if the dogs are all hers. Pearl nods, and the woman starts asking questions, curious to know more about them.
When it’s time to move on to Top Dog Barkery a few blocks away for treats, Pearl expertly handles their leashes. She allows the dogs to command the sidewalk side-by-side, their little wheelchairs like chariots carrying them down Pacific Coast Highway. Pedestrians part like the Red Sea as the dogs approach, smiles spreading across their faces. It’s difficult not to crack a grin — their enthusiasm is contagious.
A man stopped at a light adjacent to the dogs rolls down his window and shouts “God bless!” Shortly after that, a horn honks and a woman’s voice yells, “You have a heart of gold!” Pearl is modest in her response, focusing on the dogs instead.
“A lot of times people will tell me that I’m a hero, but I don’t really look at it that way. The dogs are the heroes, and I’m the vessel that holds the leash. I’m the chauffeur, I just take them where they need to go. And I let them do their magic.”
Source: Orange County Register
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