Home at Pearl’s Place
Woman strives to save the lives of man’s best friend
By AMY ROGNLIE | Photos courtesy of LISA KATHAN by Kelsi Leanne Photography
Lisa Kathan has been rescuing animals all her life. She began rescuing horses as a teenager and has since moved on to rescuing medically vulnerable dogs. In 2013, Kathan founded Pearl’s Place in Temple.
“Our mission is to help dogs in worst-case scenarios from shelters or in cases of abandonment. Many of the shelter dogs are in line for euthanasia, maybe having gunshot wounds, burns, broken bones, or having been hit by a car and are flagged as ‘urgent.’ These overlooked and sometimes forgotten animals are our priority and we are extremely grateful to be a part of their healing and future,” Kathan said.
Take Diddy, for example, an American pit bull terrier who came to Pearl’s Place two years ago on hospice. Someone had fed him roofing nails, and he was not expected to live. With the loving care of Kathan and her volunteer staff, Diddy not only survived, but recently celebrated his 14th birthday along with 14 other senior dogs who are permanent residents at Pearl’s Place.
In 2022 and 2023, Pearl’s Place rescued more than 350 dogs. A dog groomer and aesthetician for 30 years, Kathan uses specialized products and medical-grade equipment, including a hydromassage ozone machine, to nurse the dogs back to health. The hydromassage treatment helps with inflammation, skin issues and even helps shrink cancer tumors.
“No matter what it costs, I’m going to get these dogs the care they need,” Kathan said. “We pride ourselves on the recovery of some of the worst medical cases, from skin to broken bones, we do them all.”
She and the Pearl’s Place staff are the main caregivers for the animals, but since they do not yet have a veterinarian on staff, medical bills are astronomical. In 2022 and 2023 alone, the small rescue organization spent $124,000 in vet bills and more than $50,000 in dog food.
Kathan and her crew also hope to help educate the public about the importance of having dogs spayed or neutered, as there is an overwhelmingly large population of unwanted dogs in Bell County. She said she dreams of one day opening a low-cost spay/neuter clinic in Temple and already has some of the equipment, but is waiting on more funding to be available to realize her dream. Plans also include having a vet on staff. In the meantime, Pearl’s Place offers low-cost vaccination and microchipping clinics once a month at its location in southeast Temple. There’s also a small supply of dog food to help those who are in need.
She hopes that more people will become involved and says that even small gestures help. The hardest part of her job is finding new homes for the dogs once they are restored to health, so something as simple as passing along a social media post of a dog looking for a home is important. She also encourages folks to donate dog food to their local animal shelter or to sponsor a spay or neuter for someone who cannot afford it. Monetary donations are greatly appreciated by this small team of canine caregivers and will go toward seeing their big dreams realized.
“We want to make a real impact on the community,” Kathan said. “We want to do as much as we can.”
Pearl’s Place
Address: 4011 Little Drive Road, Temple
Phone: 254-654-8307
TikTok: Pearlsplace2020
Instagram: @thecrazydawgladytx
Facebook: facebook.com/pearlsplaceusa
