It's been a long week for Jessie and Patricia Baldridge. The couple now lives in a bus because a fire destroyed their house.But it's not the material things they miss.
It's the forty-one dogs that burned and the ninety-five dogs and three cats rescuers took away.
"Do you miss them?" I asked Patricia.
"Yes. A lot of them I bottle fed," Patricia said as she cried.
Patricia Baldridge said they just love animals and never would turn any away. They even took them for regular visits to the vet.
"They were never left out in the cold. They had clean blankets to sleep on. Some people's kids ain't even got that," Patricia said.
Lesley Cobb, owner of the Conway-based shelter Wishing Well for Paws, rescued a few of the dogs last week.
"It's broken my heart. I've cried along with them this week," said Lesley Cobb, owner of Wishing Well for Paws, which is a shelter.
Cobb said this could have all been avoided if Faulkner County had an animal shelter.
"Our community is responsible for stepping up and helping them. They don't need our judgment. That's the last thing they need," Cobb said.
Now she's organizing help for the Baldridge couple.
Jessie is undergoing chemotherapy, while Patricia suffers from dementia.
"Ninety nine percent of them had names and everyone of them had their personalities and they were just like a child," Jessie Baldridge said.
Jessie said the animals helped them endure their illnesses. While they know many have judged them, they don't regret a thing.
"You could have used that money to live in a better place," I said to Patricia.
"It wouldn't have been worth it," she responded.
To help the Baldridge Family, you can donate at Bank of America to the account identified as "Wishing Well for Paws." You can donate clothing and other items to St. Peter's Episcopal Church or Fellowship Bible Church in Conway.
