Dog Gives Wauwatosa Family Bliss During Pandemic

WAUWATOSA, WI—A dog wasn't in the plans for a family in Wauwatosa until the coronavirus and pandemic caused them to reconsider.

Kim Storey was never interested in getting a dog. She described herself as a neat freak who didn't want dirty paw prints or slimy drops of dog saliva on the furniture.

Dan, her husband of 22 years, always loved dogs and had them growing up. He and his elder daughter, Olivia, would beg to get a dog. But Kim held firm.

"I didn't want to be responsible for a dog," she told Patch. "We have enough responsibilities."

Olivia, 21, lives in Whitewater. The Storeys other daughter, Kitty, 13, lives at home and was featured in a Patch story aboout her cooking show, "Cooking With Kitty."

Kitty practices her occupational therapy skills, cooking skills and reading skills, all while inspiring other kids like her to let them know that they can do anything. (She has Down syndrome and autism).

Kitty was always afraid of dogs until Olivia got a puppy named Chewy, who helped her overcome her fear.

But that wasn't the catalyst that changed Kim's mind about a dog. "I just felt like I didn't have the mental capacity to put the time and effort into another living being," she said.

Then a friend posted photos of puppies on an animal rescue page. Normally, Kim would glance at photos of dogs and think they were cute. This time was unique.

A 4-month-old mutt —Jet — grabbed her attention. He is a mixed-breed dog, part blue heeler, Labrador retriever, boxer and Staffordshire terrier. "I saw Jet's face and I completely fell in love with him," Kim said.

For the busy mom, the reaction was huge for her, especially as someone who didn't want to have a pet in the first place.

Kim tagged her husband in the post to get his attention. He was startled and asked if this was her way of saying she wanted a dog.

"I didn't know what she was saying," Dan Storey said.

'Running is his passion'

In August, the coronavirus struck the Storey home. Everyone had mild symptoms and made it through the infection period. "I had mild symptoms relative to the flu, but nothing where we felt we had to go to the doctor," Kim said.

The worst part for Kim was walking 5 feet and feeling instantly tired. Dan had only a cough. The family felt they got off pretty easy. But Dan had lingering effects of the illness.

"I could never breathe properly. It was as if every breath I took wasn't productive," he said.

Dan was always an avid runner, often covering 10 miles at a time. After becoming sick, he could only do a quarter-mile run before stopping.

By October, he wound up in the emergency room. He pulled a muscle in his leg, which caused severe swelling. Dan was diagnosed with blood clots in his legs and lungs attributable to the coronavirus infection. He was placed on blood thinners and was told that he could not run again until the symptoms subsided.

"Running is his passion, his therapy. So trying to make it through a pandemic without your coping mechanism is doubly hard," Kim said.

'Thick as thieves'

The pandemic not only caused health issues for the Storey family but also financial challenges.

After seeing Jet's photo, Kim tried to talk herself out of adopting a dog. "We are already financially strapped," she said.

To keep his job, Dan had to take a huge pay cut back in April. She felt it wasn't the best time to get a pet.

But two weeks later, another post with Jet's face popped up on social media. She felt it was a sign telling her to adopt him.

"I knew he was going to make Dan happy," Kim said. "I thought this would bring joy back into his life." When the dog is older, he will make a great running partner for her husband, she added.

The family said the pup has two modes: snuggler and psycho. He is smart and learns things fast but has a ton of puppy energy. Jet is also lovable and has to be touching a family member at all times, Kim said.

"He [Jet] looks into your eyes, and it is like he is looking into your soul," Kim said.

Dan added it was "nice to have a puppy again and have a little bit of change in the rotation of days."

The two are going to be the best training partners, Kim said. "They will start off slowly together. Building endurance and rebuilding. These two are thick as thieves and made for one another."