NEW HYDE PARK, N.Y. (WCBS 880) — A Long Island pet shop owner has gifted a local veteran with a new puppy after her dog was tragically killed in Nassau County.
Veteran Phoebe Ervin says her dog, Pommie, was her best friend and she was absolutely devastated by his loss.
“I came home to an empty house. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't eat because he was my all along,” she said.
Pommie, a Pomeranian, was killed when he ran out of Ervin’s home and was struck by a hit-and-run driver.
After hearing about the tragic story, New Hyde Park pet store owner Sarah Greenstein said she felt compelled to help.
“We felt so bad about what happened to Pommie. Phoebe has served our country. She has made it possible for someone like me to have the freedoms that I have and I'm very thankful for that. When she needed us, we had to step up,” Greenstein said.
Her store gifted 53-year-old Ervin with a new Pomeranian puppy, whom Ervin named Pancake, and now the veteran says she is beginning to recover.
“Ever since I had him, I'm calmer, my [blood] pressure has gone down because I wasn't sleeping at all,” she said.
Ervin says her new puppy is both cute and fluffy and helps her with her post-traumatic stress disorder.
Meanwhile, Greenstein says she hopes Pancake will help honor Pommie.
“When we were looking for a Pomeranian for Phoebe, we didn't want it to be exactly the same as Pommie. We didn't want her to feel like we were replacing Pommie. We knew that this was the right dog for her immediately,” Greenstein said.
Ervin says she is beyond grateful for the pet store and Pancake.
“I had no idea that Sarah was going to go 100% all the way for me because Pommie saved my life and this woman knew what I went through having PTSD and everything that goes along with that as a veteran,” the 53-year-old said.
Greenstein was also honored by the presiding officer of the Nassau County Legislature for the donation to Ervin.
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