Desiree’s Second Chance: How PAS Keeps Families—Human and Canine—Together

At Heritage House, a transitional‑housing community in Napa, you’ll often see a gentle, golden‑brown pittie‑boxer mix padding down the hallway beside her person. Ten‑month‑old Desiree walks with purpose: morning classes first, then a leisurely stroll home where every neighbor stops for a scratch behind the ears. She’s become, as her dad D. likes to say, “the princess of these apartments.”

A chance meeting on the side of the road
Nine months ago, D. wasn’t planning on bringing a puppy home. A friend called to say two stray pups needed help. Desiree’s sister kept her distance, but Desiree trotted right up and never looked back.

“I’d always wanted a big dog,” D. remembers. “I believe God sent Desiree to me—and gave her the home she needed.”

A partner in class…and in life 
Desiree tags along to every class D. attends, curling up quietly at his feet. She’s figured out how to turn on automatic drinking fountains and, like any self‑respecting puppy, she shreds every toy that crosses her path. Yet her biggest gift is the calm she brings her dad.

“I still battle anger,” D. says. “Now I stop and think: If I mess up, who’ll take care of her? Desiree keeps me on track.”

The pair logs nearly 15 miles a week together, savoring an unhurried walk home after class—because that part of the day, as D. puts it, “is all about her.”

Love that goes the extra mile
Ask D. what Desiree means to him and he doesn’t hesitate

• • “I can’t begin to say how much joy she brings to my heart.”
  • “I’m even trying to get approved for a two‑bedroom house so she has space to be comfortable.”

Every month, D. stretches his own budget so Desiree can have a special treat: “I use my food stamps to buy her jerky once a month. I don’t eat the jerky anymore—I save it for her.”

PAS—run in partnership with Napa County Housing & Homeless Services—removes the financial barriers that can force unhoused or low‑income residents to surrender their pets. By keeping families intact, PAS prevents animals from entering already‑crowded shelters and supports the mental health of their people. Desiree is the proof: a healthy, spayed, well‑mannered ambassador who’s changing minds about pitties one tail‑wag at a time.

Help more families like D. & Desiree
Your gift today provides the vaccines, food, training and vet care that keep pets safe and loved—right where they belong.
➡️ Give now at https://napahumane.org/donate

Thank you for being the reason stories like Desiree’s & D,’s have a happy ending. 🧡