By Heather Posey
Staff Writer
It’s a Grind co-owners Louise Montgomery and Marty Cox took the morning off from their growing coffee chain to honor canine heroines Ashley and Courtney Chase last Thursday.
The pair rescued their neighbor’s dog Toby, a Shih Tzu who nearly drowned to death by the hands of owner Casey Purser, age 19, for soiling the carpet of his Van Nuys home.
“It was really brave and impressive,” said Cox, who awarded the girls $1,000 each for their act. “We felt [they] should be recognized for what they did.”
Ashley, who lived near Purser and had befriended him and his family, stopped by his home on Monday, Oct. 1 to bring him lunch. She claimed the door was left open and when she went in, saw Purser in the act.
“I walked into the apartment and saw poop on the floor. The bathroom door was open, and I saw Casey hunched over the tub,” said Chase.
She asked Purser what he was doing and he turned to her, holding Toby up by his front legs, the dog’s eyes rolling to the back of his head. Purser responded to Ashley with “he went on the carpet,” then dropped the dog back into the tub.” According to knbc.com, Purser had just been released from jail on an unrelated drug charge.
“[Casey’s] eyes looked dead,” said Chase. “I took the dog and ran back to my place, where my sister just came out of the shower. I grabbed the towel off her head to wrap the dog in and had Courtney drive to the vet.”
Ashley gave the dog mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and when the girls got stuck in traffic two blocks away from the animal hospital, she jumped out of the car and ran the rest of the way. The day’s event was a shock that neither of the girls expected.
“[Casey] seemed to love animals, but then he changed right away,” said Ashley. “When we got home, he left me a message on my voicemail all calm saying ‘hey, where did you go?'”
Sister Courtney agrees. “I feel like he needs mental help.”
Purser was arrested a few days later when he came to the animal hospital with his other dog, pit bull Evesue, to pay for Toby’s veterinarian bill. Purser denied the animal cruelty claim, stating that he was just wringing the dog out. He was taken to jail and bailed out early the next morning.
When Montgomery and Cox found out what the sisters had done, they immediately wanted to reward them and help gain exposure on the issue of animal cruelty.
“We were just watching the news and then the story came on and we said we had to do something,” said Montgomery. “We have got to stop animal cruelty.”
In addition to their check, Ashley and Courtney also received an invitation to work with Louise and her animal rescue group. Montgomery has fostered more than 250 dogs over the past six years and has been involved with organizations such as Friends of Long Beach Animals, Animal Match Rescue Team and The Pet Place. Animal cruelty is also an important issue close to the girls’ hearts as well.
“Children and animals can’t speak out,” said Courtney. “They can’t take care of themselves.”
Since rescuing Toby, Ashley and Courtney have agreed to take care of Purser’s other dog Evesue. They have also moved away from their Van Nuys home to an undisclosed location for protection. As for the Shih Tzu, Toby is still being treated and has had numerous requests for adoption. Purser is scheduled to appear in court in Van Nuys Oct. 23 to determine whether or not he will stand trial.
