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Meet Zeus, the Healer of Hearts


Meet Zeus, the goodest boy who has helped to heal not one, but two broken hearts - and not just metaphorically.

From the moment that Zeus came into Jessica’s life, their mutual love of fun and adrenaline-filled adventures saw them form a tight bond.

“As a puppy, people did a double take when they saw his tiny face poking out of my backpack as I skateboarded to my son’s school,” Jessica said. “And as he grew into a large, lanky boy, he took great delight in towing me along. We spent our evenings snuggled in bed together, and life was awesome.”

But one day, the intuitive Zeus knew that something was wrong.

“He started sniffing my heart intently, and laying on top of me every time I felt unwell,” Jessica shared.

At the time, Jessica was facing continuous stress and sadness which had her turning to alcohol, and she had no idea what Zeus was doing. She later learned that her blood pressure was dropping to dangerously low levels.

“Zeus would stay draped over me until my blood pressure returned to normal and I felt much better. This went on for over 6 months.”

Then, one terrible day, Jessica’s heart failed.

Needing to be rushed to hospital, and then facing a long stint in rehabilitation which saw her lose her home, her job, and heartbreakingly, her family, Jessica knew that losing her best friend would be the final straw.

With no one to turn to, her social worker reached out to Pets of the Homeless, a not-for-profit based in Melbourne that helps to keep vulnerable people and their beloved pets together through the provision of safe shelter, vet care, and pet food and supplies.

“We reached out to Deb, one of our wonderful foster carers, to see if Zeus could stay with her,” said Yvonne Hong, Founder and CEO.

Deb had also just had her own heart broken in more ways than one.

“My dog Tiger had passed away a few months prior, and I missed him terribly,” Deb said. “Then I suffered a heart attack and was rushed to hospital for triple bypass surgery.”

Deb needed some joy in her life, and Zeus was about to bring plenty of it in the form of a 2-year-old goofball with a zest for toys and life. But Deb never could have known that underneath that cheeky persona, Zeus' intuition would again lead him to her heart.

“At night, Zeus would sneakily stick his nose under our doona at the foot of the bed, and would wriggle his way up until he was lying between me and my husband,” Deb shared.

Placing his head on Deb’s heart, it was as if he knew that her heart too needed healing.


“During his foster stay,
Pets of the Homeless provided support for Zeus in the form of nutritious food, toys and surgery to remove some malignant growths on his face,” Yvonne said. “True to his name, he handled it with courage and bravery, making a full recovery.”

After 69 long days apart, Jessica secured a new home and was ready to welcome back her best friend.

“The weather was wild with gale force winds that day, but their heartwarming reunion really blew us away,” Yvonne shared.

“The moment that Zeus laid eyes on his person, he was beside himself with joy. And the feeling was clearly mutual.”


Jessica was overwhelmed by the outstanding kindness of Deb and the team at Pets of the Homeless.

“I am so thankful to you for helping my beautiful boy,” Jessica said.

"I can’t believe that there is an organisation out there that is so generous. I couldn’t afford Zeus’ surgery, and to have him back looking so happy and healthy, with the vitamins and other supplies, means so much. Even his table manners have improved!”

Jessica and Zeus are now back in the swing of things, going for walks and snuggling in bed together.

“You helped make a very trying and worrisome time a bit easier knowing that I wasn’t going to lose Zeus,” Jessica said. “You really did save my life.”

About Pets of the Homeless

Pets of the Homeless
works to keep vulnerable people and their pets together by alleviating the burden of providing essential pet care during times of hardship. 
Through the provision of pet food and supplies, veterinary care and safe shelter, POTH works to ensure that the important bond between a person and their companion animal is never broken.

Find out how you can get involved by visiting the website
and @pothaustralia on Instagram.
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