Petaluma woman, dog reunited for holidays

Just in time for the holidays, Crystal Austin has been reunited with her longtime companion.

While struggling to find housing after losing her home on the Oregon coast earlier this year, 74-year-old Austin took comfort in the company of her two small dogs - one having been at her side for more than a decade.

She drove south to Mendocino coast, living out of her car at times while trying unsuccessfully to find housing in the North Coast region of her childhood. Still, Auzzy, 12, and Tilly, 14, were there.

Then came her hospitalization after a stroke, her subsequent residency at a rehabilitation center in Petaluma and the tear-filled days wondering whether she would ever see her four-legged companions again.

Last week, Austin got her answer.

After the actions of a chain of caregivers, case managers and volunteers sympathetic to her circumstances, Austin was reunited with her King Charles spaniel Auzzy at Petaluma’s EmPres Post Acute Rehabilitation last week.

While visits from dogs and their owners are common at the care facility, Austin will be the first resident to keep a dog at EmPres full-time, said Executive Director Connie Smith.

After the reunion , Austin said she was optimistic Auzzy would fit right in.

“The way that she is - she loves everybody,” she said.

A challenging time

Austin called Ukiah-based Redwood Community Crisis Services around six months ago, hoping for help with housing and the myriad challenges she faced while living out of her car in Ft. Bragg, said Denise Addison, a mental health rehabilitation specialist at the organization.

The case didn’t quite fit with the organization’s mental health focus, yet Addison said she and her colleagues felt compelled to help.

“We had an elderly woman who was homeless, who had driven her car from somewhere in Oregon and ended up living out of her car on the coast, where there is no housing,” she said.

Addison began making regular trips to the coast to meet with Austin, and spent several months in an unsuccessful search for family contacts. It became apparent that the dogs were Austin’s bedrock, Addison said, and that she and her colleagues were perhaps the only people familiar with Austin’s situation.

A rocky search for stable housing included a stay at a Lake County hotel in late October, and it was while discussing a visit over the phone that Addison noticed Austin was having difficulty speaking. She called 9-1-1, sensing the signs of a stroke.

‘The only thing she cared about’

Addison said she successfully pleaded with the hotel operator to give her time to retrieve Austin’s dogs and belongings, and made herself known as a contact to those caring for Austin at St. Helena Hospital. She took both dogs in herself before her supervisors convinced the Humane Society for Inland Mendocino County, which does not normally board dogs long-term, to house the animals.

“During the five-and-a-half, six months we were working with Crystal, we did everything in our power to find somebody to connect with in her family. We couldn’t find anyone. The only thing she cared about was her dogs,” Addison said.

Tilly, the elder dog, was ill, and ultimately died. But Auzzy remained at the Humane Society for several weeks.

“We made an exception for Crystal and Auzzy,” said Adri Vega, the Humane Society location’s kennel supervisor.

A new life in Petaluma

Austin was ultimately transported to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for further care, and on Oct. 24, to EmPres in Petaluma. The care facility provides short- and long-term rehabilitation, and currently has 96 residents.

It quickly became apparent that Austin longed for the dogs, prompting staff to retrace the chain of events that brought her to Petaluma in a search for answers as to what happened to the animals, said Smith, the executive director. With the revelation that Auzzy was in the care of the Humane Society - and possessed a mellow disposition - Smith moved to have the dog take up residence alongside Austin herself.

The move created a buzz for medical and care staff, though Smith noted that employees do have some experience with animal residents - Lloyd, a lop-eared rabbit, lives in the courtyard.

“I think it’s going to be a good match - Crystal is a good dog owner, and will share her dog with the other residents,” she said.

Staff at a Petaluma Petco store donated free grooming services for Auzzy, and East Petaluma Animal Animal Hospital, free veterinary evaluations, Smith said, offers that show “how wonderful the Petaluma community has been.”

While describing the challenges she still faces in recovery, Austin was quick to point out her blessings and her concern for those facing homelessness. She also described her reunion with her dog in the context of her new neighbors.

“It’s the best thing in the world for the people here,” she said.

Addison, the mental health specialist, expressed relief that Austin found stability. The two have met several times since Addison became a resident at Empres.

“It’s been an amazing journey for her,” Addison said.

(Contact Eric Gneckow at eric.gneckow@arguscourier.com. On Twitter @Eric_Reports.)