Almost every pet owner would probably agree that our fur babies are our number one and that there are no questions about it.
At least this is what Liz Haslam says.
She met with her now-ex husband Mike at the age of 16 and she fell in love with him right away. After she finished high school, the couple married. She was sure that Mike was her soul mate.
After the wedding, the newlyweds moved to the English countryside and started living in a 2-bedroom house near a rural garden in Barnham, Suffolk.
They had one child together; Ollie and they were married for more than 25 years.
But, One Day, the Couple Decided It’s Time to Say Goodbye
Throughout their marriage, Liz started to rescue dogs and also started a heartfelt business which she named Beds for Bullies.
This is a foundation that helps provide shelters for bull terriers that are need of it and it was very personal for her. Namely, her mother raised West Highland Terries while her dad had an animal feed company.
Her love for animals was there from childhood.
But, Mike wasn’t overly happy with her obsession with dogs-he felt their relationship changed and that it only revolved around the rescues-many of them were with medical or behavioral problems which reduced their chances of being successfully rehomed.
Plus, she kept all of the rescues in their home and Mike one day decided to confront Liz. As Liz said, in one moment, her husband told her that it’s either the dogs or him.
Liz chose the dogs over her husband and she hasn’t heard from him since he asked this question.
Liz spoke about the end of their marriage and noted that after 25 years, he should be aware that giving up the dogs isn’t something she’s ready to do.
And, she also said her ex-husband knew of this from the moment they got married and she didn’t know what he expected from her.
We Went Our Separate Ways, Explains Liz
For the couple, it became clear that after 25 years, they didn’t have similar goals and this was one of the major reasons why their marriage ended.
She said they drifted apart-her ex was busy with work and he didn’t give her a chance.
She didn’t want to be married with a workaholic and she took refuge in the ones who did give her love, i.e. her dogs.
She chose her 30 dogs over her husband and said her passion for her dogs was too big for Mike.
What’s Happening with Liz & Her Rescues Today?
After they separated, Liz kept on looking over her rescues and all of them need different care, meds, and affection.
This is an overwhelming job and Liz sometimes spent 18 hours per day to take care for her and she also invested hundreds of dollars for their medical care.
Her rescue, Beds for Bullies, currently houses 200 dogs and the money come from donations.
Liz’s bill at the vet’s has come close to $4500. Because of this, she had to move into a tent temporarily as she couldn’t pay her rent.
Despite the challenges, she says she chose this life and she loves it.
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