California Woman Adopts Seven Dogs With Disabilities, Turns Them Into Therapy Dogs

A woman in Huntington Beach, California, has caught the attention of many with her pack of dogs. The woman is famous in the town for holding five leashes with one hand and pulling a wagon with the other. However, a closer look shows she has seven dogs, with none walking on all four legs.

Debbie Pearl is a dog lover who has gained popularity for her particular breed of dogs. According to reports, all of her dogs have disabilities and use wheelchairs or prosthetic limbs. Pearl trains them for movies and said she has always had “quite a few” of her dogs at home. 

In 2005, she created a nonprofit called Dream Fetchers. Through the nonprofit, Pearl rescues dogs from the streets and euthanasia. Also, as part of the organization’s mission, Pearl’s personal pack members work as therapy dogs. 

Furthermore, Pearl adopted her first dog, Fast Eddie, with a disability about nine years ago. “Eddie was definitely my inspiration for adopting other disabled dogs,” she said in an interview. “He was so full of life. He never let anything slow him down. I mean, he truly was, what you would say, the word ‘unstoppable’ encompasses.”

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While talking about the dog, Pearl noted that a shelter found Eddie on the streets of California with an injury. She discovered him the same way she finds most of her dogs – a shelter reached out to her. After discovering Eddie on the streets, the shelter asked if she wanted to adopt him.

However, the dog lover added that almost immediately after she rescued Eddie, the shelter contacted her again. That reportedly told her about another dog in Mexico. “Because somebody who knew me saw this dog and thought I might be interested,” Pearl said.

“And, of course, it was love at first sight when I saw him.” From there, Pearl’s little pack became bigger. “They just started coming. People just started reaching out,” she said. “The word got out that I was a great home. I love disabled dogs, and one after the other started to come.”

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Despite her love for disabled dogs, Pearl noted that she is selective when adopting dogs. She claims she does that because they all become her therapy dogs, which she calls “The Unstoppable Dogs.” The pack, Zeek, Pop, Speedy, Eddie, Stevie, Elliot, and Sydney, are all survivors of abuse.

“I look for dogs that have been through traumatic events but have this amazing gift of forgiveness,” Pearl said. “And that’s a powerful thing for people because they can see the courage and resilience that these dogs have.” She added, “And all of mine have been through the worst – and they’ve come out shining.”

Besides their touching backgrounds, most of Pearl’s dogs stand out. They use special wheelchairs that hook onto their hind legs to help them move. Elliot and Sydney use prosthetics that attach to their limbs. However, they are still learning how to walk with their new devices.

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Hence, Pearl pulls them in a wagon while she walks the other dogs. At least once a week, she gathers her crew and takes them to hospitals, schools, and Easter Seals, a nonprofit that helps adults with disabilities.

Pearl and her dogs are known not only around Huntington Beach but also around the world. Her “Unstoppable Dogs” Instagram page has over 135,000 followers. She said most of their social media followers and the people they visit for therapy have disabilities. Therefore, she believes they can relate to the dogs and their joy.

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