Jacob's Journey
At 27 years old, Jacob knows what it means to choose a different life.
While living in Denver, Jacob found himself surrounded by drugs and a life he knew was hurting him. He realized that if he wanted to get healthy and change his life, he had to leave that environment behind. With very little to his name, Jacob literally walked from Denver to Colorado Springs.
In Colorado Springs, he went from living on the streets to entering recovery through SuPEERior Connections, where he became sober and earned his certification as a recovery coach. Having a place where he could keep a pet was especially important to him.
His first dog in Colorado Springs was Daisy. Jacob cared for her while in the program, until eventually she was returned to her owner.
Because Jacob had taken such good care of Daisy, he was given two puppies.
Then two tiny kittens came into his life.
A friend found the kittens near a dumpster. They were so young that Jacob had to bottle-feed them during their first couple of weeks. He cared for them, nurtured them, and watched them grow.
Those four animals became family.
When PetCross Becomes Part of the Journey
And somewhere along that journey, PetCross became part of his story.
PetCross, a mobile veterinary nonprofit founded by Dr. Lisa Thompson, provides veterinary care and other essential support to pets whose families may otherwise struggle to afford it. By bringing care directly into the communities it serves, PetCross helps remove barriers that can make veterinary care out of reach. For people like Jacob, that support can mean something even bigger: the ability to keep beloved animals healthy and families together.
A family friend introduced Jacob to PetCross. His first visit was with Daisy, a dog he was caring for at the time. On his second visit, with his new puppies, he saw volunteers setting up canopies, tables, and chairs. Instead of simply waiting for his pets to be seen, Jacob looked at the people working and asked:
"Can I help?"
After his pets received their veterinary care, Jacob signed up to volunteer.
He has been a faithful volunteer ever since.
PetCross helped Jacob's family with veterinary care, food, toys, and supplies. Most importantly, PetCross helped make it possible for his puppies and kittens to receive their first vaccinations, care Jacob knew they needed but wasn't sure he could afford.
When Help Comes Full Circle
Today, Jacob gives back to PetCross in a very personal way.
Because he has experienced homelessness and knows the road of recovery himself, he has a special ability to connect with the people PetCross serves. As a certified recovery coach, he listens, encourages, and helps people feel welcomed and respected. His experience isn't something he hides; he has turned it into a way to help someone else.
Jacob volunteers because he loves animals, has always dreamed of becoming a veterinarian, and believes that when someone has been helped, they should have the opportunity to help someone else.
When asked what he would say to the people who support PetCross, Jacob put it simply:
"They are saving animals and saving families as well."
To Jacob, a pet is family. When someone is struggling to afford food, supplies, or veterinary care, the fear of losing that beloved animal can add an enormous burden to an already difficult life.
PetCross can help take some of that burden away.
Jacob believes that a donation to PetCross doesn't just help an animal receive veterinary care. It can help a family stay together. It can help someone keep moving forward. It can even mean that money that would have gone toward an unexpected veterinary expense can instead help keep a roof over someone's head.
As Jacob explained, "Putting money into PetCross is not just putting money into PetCross. You're putting money into the community, into a way where people can still live."
Helping More Families Like Jacob's
It is this connection between animals, families, and community that led Lew Dog Gives to select PetCross for a $1,000 grant made possible by Tito's Handmade Vodka.
For perspective, $100 can fully vaccinate a family with two dogs and two cats, just like Jacob's. That means a $1,000 grant has the potential to provide full vaccinations for 10 families like his, helping protect as many as 40 beloved pets.
It is exactly the kind of impact Lew Dog Gives looks for: supporting the people doing the work so they can continue helping animals and the people who love them.
A Different Life Today
Today, Luna and Calypso, the two tiny kittens Jacob once bottle-fed, are doing well, along with Shy and Moonlight, his two puppies. Jacob says the four animals bring his family "a sense of pure happiness and joy." They bond over their animals, stay close because of them, and find comfort and laughter in them every day.
Jacob moved into housing in April 2026. Today he has a wife, a child, four beloved animals, a home, and a future. On November 14, 2026, he will celebrate two years of sobriety.
It's a very different life from the one Jacob walked away from.
Jacob's story is not about where he started.
It's about the fact that he chose to keep walking.
He walked away from the life that was hurting him. He found recovery. He found a home. He found a family, and four little animals who became an important part of that family.
That is the beautiful thing about community. Sometimes the person who needs a helping hand today becomes the person offering one tomorrow.
Sometimes helping a pet means helping the person who loves them keep going. And sometimes, that person eventually turns around and helps someone else keep going, too.
Every pet deserves help. Every person deserves a chance.
PetCross
PetCross brings essential veterinary care directly to pets and families in need. If you're ever in Colorado Springs, stop by and say hello to Jacob and the PetCross team, and congratulate him on two years of sobriety. Learn more, donate, or get involved with PetCross.
Tito's Handmade Vodka
Through its Vodka for Dog People program, Tito's Handmade Vodka helps support animal welfare organizations and the people doing the work. This $1,000 grant to PetCross was made possible by Tito's generous support of Lew Dog Gives. Learn More About Vodka for Dog People.
Lew Dog Gives
Helping the people who help animals. We find trustworthy causes doing meaningful work for animals, support their work, and share their stories so more people can help.
100% volunteer-run. 100% of net proceeds go toward helping animals in need.
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