08/24/2026
I have to share something pretty incredible that came out of losing Alex.
Vince from Barkleyâs Hope reached out to me with an idea to create a fund in my sisterâs name, specifically to help people who are ready to enter treatment but have nowhere for their pets to go.
And I donât think people realize how often that is an actual barrier.
If someone gets a bed in treatment, they may need to go NOW. Not three weeks from now when a foster opens up. Not after they save enough money for boarding. Not after they figure out who can take their dog for a month.
Barkleyâs Hope already works with people in these situations and helps coordinate resources. Vince is now working on grant funding that would put money directly on account with Dog Dynasty so that when someone needs to enter treatment, we can immediately step in and care for their pet for the first 30 days, or until another resource like Roice-Hurst is available.
Barkleyâs Hope handles the people. We handle the pets. And hopefully, one less person has to say, âI canât go because I have nowhere for my dog to go.â
I love this for about a hundred different reasons.
I love that itâs practical. I love that it fills a gap that already exists in our community. I love that Dog Dynasty gets to be part of something that is quite literally giving someone the freedom to go get help without worrying about the animal they love.
And I love that Vince wants to name it after Alex.
Those who knew Alexâs story will probably understand why that part means more to me than I can explain.
There are a million ways people could have suggested honoring my sister. Somehow Vince found one that connects her, the work Iâve spent my life doing, animals, addiction recovery, and an actual need in our community all in one place.
Thatâs pretty special.
Thank you, Vince. Thank you to Barkleyâs Hope for thinking beyond what youâre already doing and asking, âWhat is still keeping people from getting help, and how can we fix it?â
And thank you for giving Alexâs name somewhere to keep doing some good in the world.
I think she would really love that. â¤ď¸