As pet owners, our furbabies are number one – always. No questions about it.
Liz Haslam met her husband Mike when she was only 16.
She quickly fell in love, and after she finished high school, the couple got married. She was sure that they were soulmates.
So, where did it all go wrong? It would turn out, that throughout their marriage, Liz began rescuing dogs. Given the amount of space they had in their new home, Liz concluded that she had the room to start a very heartfelt business: Beds for Bullies.
Her business was actually a foundation focused on providing shelter for bull terriers in need. It was something that was deeply personal for Liz, since she came from a background where her mother raised West Highland Terriers, and her father owned an animal feed company.
She naturally developed a love for dogs as a child.
Eventually, Liz’s labor of love began to overwhelm her husband Mike. He felt that their relationship dynamic had changed and that everything revolved around the rescue dogs – many of whom had either medical or behavioral issues that hindered their chances to be sent off to permanent homes.
Growing increasingly fed up with the rescue that hindered space in their home, Mike confronted Liz.
It was clear that even after 25 years, their goals were no long aligning in the same direction, and that is what prompted the couple to make the decision to separate.
Liz explained, “We drifted apart. He was very busy with work, and he didn’t give me a chance. I didn’t want to be the woman married to a workaholic, so I took refuge in those who gave me love: my dogs.”
As a result, her 30 dogs’ needs were placed in priority over Mike.