"He is her number one admirer and her biggest champion," Kristal added. "He will tell anybody who would listen about what an incredible dog she is and how much he loves her. He performs the traditional grandpa stuff of indulging her with goodies and toys and she loves to just hang out around him."

Yet when COVID limits went into place last year, Bitsy and her mom's lives slowed down. Among the biggest challenges for Kristal and Bitsy was that they had to be separated from relatives — including Kristal's dad.