Puppy store that donated dog to veteran with PTSD honored on Long Island
NEW HYDE PARK, Long Island (WABC) -- Nassau County honored a Long Island puppy store on Wednesday for helping a combat military veteran whose emotional support dog was run over in May.
Those with the Left Paw in New Hyde Park gave a new Pomeranian puppy to veteran Phoebe Ervin.
"Phoebe has served our country, and she has made it possible for someone like me to have the freedoms that I have," Left Paw owner Sarah Greenstein said. "I'm very thankful for that, so when she needed us, we had to step up."
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Ervin, who suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from her time in the military, purchased her previous Pomeranian, Pommy, from the Left Paw.
The New Hyde Park resident said Pommy helped her cope with life and kept her calm during thunderstorms and fireworks.
Pommy got loose from his harness May 13, and someone ran him over. The driver has not been found.
Ervin's friend was walking Pommy while she was out of town at her daughter's graduation.
"I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep," Ervin said. "I was forgetting to take my medication, which is so important."
Ervin said she called Greenstein to tell her what happened to Pommy.
"We immediately started to find a Pomeranian for her, because we knew that's what she wanted, what she needed," Greenstein said.
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They located a dog named Pancake and gave him to Ervin.
"Every since I had him, I'm calmer, my pressure has gone down," Ervin said. "I feel myself coming back."
Ervin said Greenstein has offered to watch Pancake at the puppy store anytime Ervin goes out of town.
Nassau County Legislature Presiding Officer Richard Nicolello honored the Left Paw with a citation on Wednesday.
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