MFM Minisode 430

This week’s hometowns are pet-themed ahead of National Pet Day! They include a hero calico cat and a dog with a big appetite for butter. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/3UFCn1g. See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:01Karen Kilgariff?

  This is exactly right.

• 0:06Georgia Hardstark?

  In New Orleans, truckers kept getting sideswiped the exact same way.

• 0:10Karen Kilgariff?

  When a man is found murdered under questionable circumstances related to these accidents, that's when the rubber hits the road.

• 0:16Georgia Hardstark?

  And what the feds uncover is a complex scheme of staged wrecks, financial fraud, and a pair of conspiring lovers behind it.

• 0:23Karen Kilgariff?

  This is a story about fake accidents that led to real consequences.

• 0:27Georgia Hardstark?

  Listen to Over My Dead Body: Operation Sideswipe wherever you get your podcasts.

• 0:31Karen Kilgariff?

  Audible subscribers can binge all episodes early and ad-free right now.

• 0:35Georgia Hardstark?

  Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Goodbye.

• 0:41Karen Kilgariff?

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• 0:46Georgia Hardstark?

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• 0:52Karen Kilgariff?

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• 0:55Georgia Hardstark?

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• 1:00Karen Kilgariff?

  Go to cheapcaribbean.com to try out the Budget Beach Finder and see just how stress-free vacation planning should be.

• 1:06Georgia Hardstark?

  Goodbye.

• 1:24Georgia Hardstark?

  Hello.

• 1:25Karen Kilgariff?

  And welcome.

• 1:26Georgia Hardstark?

  To my favorite murder.

• 1:27Karen Kilgariff?

  That's Georgia Hardstark.

• 1:28Georgia Hardstark?

  That's Karen Kilgariff.

• 1:29Karen Kilgariff?

  And this is the minisode.

• 1:31Georgia Hardstark?

  That's right. Good job.

• 1:32Karen Kilgariff?

  Pardon. Thank you.

• 1:33Georgia Hardstark?

  You did it. Oh, and so it's almost National Pet Day.

• 1:36Karen Kilgariff?

  Happy National Pet Day.

• 1:38Georgia Hardstark?

  Happy National Pet Day to everyone who celebrates and even those who don't.

• 1:41Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah.

• 1:41Georgia Hardstark?

  You know, you're still part of the clan.

• 1:43Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah, you have to be.

• 1:44Georgia Hardstark?

  We're forcing you.

• 1:45Karen Kilgariff?

  Get in here with us.

• 1:46Georgia Hardstark?

  Go adopt a pet.

• 1:47Karen Kilgariff?

  Look around. You'll find a cat.

• 1:48Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah, go to the shelter. Adopt an animal.

• 1:50Karen Kilgariff?

  Look in a tree. That's where we found my cat Rudy back in the 90s. Well, the kickoff National Pet Day, we're going to tell some hero pet stories.

• 1:58Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 1:59Karen Kilgariff?

  I won't read the subject line. It says, "Hi lovelies, Karen. This one's for you and your Irish family." So I'm writing after listening to the countless minisodes about crazy family stories. And now this recent episode, 463, talking about Pig Plunkett's large Irish Catholic family, this is where the inspiration finally struck. "My dad was born one of the youngest in a baker's dozen. Growing up, his mom was a nurse and his dad worked for the newspaper. You can imagine the chaos the kids got into with two hardworking parents."

• 2:29Karen Kilgariff?

  The youngest of thirteen.

• 2:30Georgia Hardstark?

  That's insane.

• 2:31Karen Kilgariff?

  That's a schoolhouse.

• 2:32Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 2:33Karen Kilgariff?

  Anyway, on to the hero pet segment. When my dad was maybe eleven-ish, they had moved recently from a medium-sized city to a farm town. There, they had a small farm, some chickens, and a German shepherd named Edith.

• 2:45Georgia Hardstark?

  Edith.

• 2:46Karen Kilgariff?

  I love Edith.

• 2:47Georgia Hardstark?

  That's a great name for a large dog.

• 2:48Karen Kilgariff?

  So good. One day, my dad and his older brother were playing in the grass near the house when Edith began to growl, hackles raised at some movement nearby. The boys didn't think much of it and continued to play. Not much later, the familiar rattling sound made my dad and his brother freeze in terror as they looked up and were face to face with a rattlesnake.

• 3:07Georgia Hardstark?

  Uh-uh.

• 3:09Karen Kilgariff?

  I don't know what happened in the following moments, except that the snake lunged at my dad and out of nowhere, Edith jumped in front of him, getting bit in the process.

• 3:17Georgia Hardstark?

  Edith, no.

• 3:19Karen Kilgariff?

  The boys called for help and the neighbor came out and assisted in killing the snake.

• 3:23Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh, you're right.

• 3:24Karen Kilgariff?

  Edith was rushed to the vet and given an antivenom. Poor girl was so lethargic from the incident, they had to pick up her head to sit in the water bowl for her to drink. Thankfully, our beautiful hero lived a long life thereafter.

• 3:38Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh, thank God, Edith.

• 3:40Karen Kilgariff?

  She pulled through. I swear, one of the main reasons my dad won't get a pet again is from that traumatic experience. Oh, and another note, the neighbor who killed the snake took it and stuffed it, and it is now sitting on the upstairs of my parents' house.

• 3:54Georgia Hardstark?

  What?

• 3:56Karen Kilgariff?

  I'm so sorry. I did not see that coming at all.

• 3:58Georgia Hardstark?

  That's hilarious.

• 3:59Karen Kilgariff?

  In parentheses, it says, "I swear that's the only redneck thing they own in their perfect suburban home." I love that. That's really quite a memory.

• 4:08Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 4:08Karen Kilgariff?

  Like, quite a keepsake.

• 4:09Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 4:10Karen Kilgariff?

  Okay, this is long enough. Thank you so much for everything you do. I've listened to you through all my major life milestones, from graduating college, getting married, having two kids with a third on the way.

• 4:20Georgia Hardstark?

  Whoa.

• 4:20Karen Kilgariff?

  Getting to baker's dozen. And struggling with the mental health roller coaster. You've been a guiding light to so many, and I can't imagine where all of us would be without the amazing guidance of your lovely ladies.

• 4:33Georgia Hardstark?

  If I wrote all that.

• 4:35Karen Kilgariff?

  Just added it in.

• 4:36Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah, do it.

• 4:37Karen Kilgariff?

  Cut and paste. Very lovely. Keep kicking ass and taking names with warmest regards, SSDGM Rachel. And then as PS, in case you were wondering, those 13 kids had 40 kids, my first cousins, and an ongoing count of around 70 to 80-ish second cousins.

• 4:54Georgia Hardstark?

  Holy shit.

• 4:56Karen Kilgariff?

  Woo.

• 4:56Georgia Hardstark?

  Wow. It's a lot of people to borrow money from.

• 4:59Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah.

• 5:00Georgia Hardstark?

  Wow.

• 5:01Karen Kilgariff?

  Edith.

• 5:01Georgia Hardstark?

  Edith, good girl. Okay, mine is a cat hero.

• 5:06Karen Kilgariff?

  Okay.

• 5:07Georgia Hardstark?

  To whom it may concern, you're the wind beneath my wings, my eternal flame, and even my candle in the wind, but none of that is why we are here.

• 5:17Karen Kilgariff?

  Incredible opening.

• 5:19Georgia Hardstark?

  It's a good one. My parents have an orange 13-year-old Maine Coon named Jack, love a Maine Coon, who loves people more than any cat I've ever known, and just might think he is a human.

• 5:28Karen Kilgariff?

  A Maine Coon that loves people must be the most fun.

• 5:32Georgia Hardstark?

  Just a giant lovable teddy bear that comes to life.

• 5:35Karen Kilgariff?

  Love that.

• 5:37Georgia Hardstark?

  He's fun and noisy and part of the family, and in May of 2020, he saved my dad's life. At the time, my dad, Arthur, was getting up early to exercise, and my mom Julie would typically be in bed still. The day after Mother's Day was no different until Jack went into their bedroom and began bothering my mom, that's the cat, not the dad, by jumping on her, hitting her with his paws, and not leaving when she tried to swat him away. Finally, my mom got up and found my dad at the bottom of the stairs, gasping in what we now know is the death rattle. She was able to call 911 and perform CPR, and he was eventually airlifted to a bigger hospital until discovering he had suffered a massive stroke.

• 6:18Karen Kilgariff?

  Wow.

• 6:18Georgia Hardstark?

  We were told to say our goodbyes because you get a very small possibility of surviving, but after months of therapy and intervention, he is still here today.

• 6:26Karen Kilgariff?

  Wow, great.

• 6:27Georgia Hardstark?

  Not exactly the same, but still my dad. And it's all because of a hero cat who wouldn't give up. Thank you for all you bring to the world, Amanda.

• 6:35Karen Kilgariff?

  Amanda.

• 6:36Georgia Hardstark?

  That's such a good cat.

• 6:38Karen Kilgariff?

  That cat saved her father's life.

• 6:40Georgia Hardstark?

  I know, because if that mom hadn't woken up, he would have stayed down at the bottom of the stairs for even longer, losing oxygen, who knows what.

• 6:46Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah. And also, Amanda, you're, I understand that's a traumatic thing to go through, but... We all change all the time anyway. So it's like, that's what's going to happen eventually. And to have him there to be with you is, is really a gift. So I'm glad that's the way that story turned out. My God. Hero. I know. The heroes are all around us.

• 7:07Georgia Hardstark?

  The holidays are coming, which means we'll all be spending more time away from home.

• 7:11Karen Kilgariff?

  Whether you're visiting family or doing something actually fun, you want to know your home is protected while you're away.

• 7:16Georgia Hardstark?

  That's why now is a good time to think about home security with Simply Safe.

• 7:20Karen Kilgariff?

  Unlike traditional security systems that alert you after a break in starts, Simply Safe is designed to help stop intruders before they get inside. These days, you're worried about your house, you're out of town, and then something comes up and you get to look on your phone and Simply Safe is going to show you not only the video of like, it's a raccoon at your front door, but also that they have staff that's sitting there, they already know. And if it was something different or worse, they would have already been on it.

• 7:46Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah, I really think that's invaluable peace of mind, that just like relying on your neighbors, paying attention is not going to give you. We've partnered with Simply Safe to offer our listeners their biggest savings of the year. 70% off your new system with professional monitoring when you visit simplysafe.com/mfm.

• 8:03Karen Kilgariff?

  That's simplysafe.com/mfm. And when you order, write in MFM at checkout and it tells them we sent you and it really helps the show.

• 8:10Georgia Hardstark?

  Simply Safe, ahead of crime in real time.

• 8:13Karen Kilgariff?

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• 8:57Karen Kilgariff?

  use offer code MURDER to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Goodbye.

• 9:04Karen Kilgariff?

  The subject line of this email is "The Time My Pet Bird Saved Me From Being Abducted." "Hello. When I was about eight years old, my sister's best friend was looking to rehome a pet parrot. The friend said that the parrot, a peach-faced lovebird named Peachy..."

• 9:19Georgia Hardstark?

  Aww.

• 9:20Karen Kilgariff?

  And then in parentheses it says, "Yeah, I know, real creative." "...was too aggressive toward her and her siblings. We found out later that the siblings were abusive toward little Peachy, and that he was just acting in self-defense."

• 9:31Georgia Hardstark?

  Peachy!

• 9:32Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah. "But the parents wanted him out of the house regardless. My sister, being only 14 at the time, with no prior experience caring for birds, and without asking permission from her parents..."

• 9:42Georgia Hardstark?

  A bird. A surprise bird is not cool.

• 9:46Karen Kilgariff?

  Peachy!

• 9:47Georgia Hardstark?

  Because sudden Peachy is like...

• 9:49Karen Kilgariff?

  Meet Peachy!

• 9:50Georgia Hardstark?

  "Here's your pet Peachy for the next 50 years," or whatever.

• 9:53Karen Kilgariff?

  50 plus.

• 9:54Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh my god.

• 9:54Karen Kilgariff?

  That's so funny. "Fortunately, my parents weren't too mad about this. Peachy was a bitter little bird who hated everyone on principle."

• 10:02Georgia Hardstark?

  Yes!

• 10:04Karen Kilgariff?

  Oh, Peachy was a bitter little bird who hated everyone on principle and especially my sister for some reason.

• 10:11Karen Kilgariff?

  "At first Peachy rejected me just as violently as he did everyone else, but once my mom explained to me that I had to be gentle and patient with him, as he was still scared and unsure, I changed my whole approach. After that Peachy and I were practically inseparable."

• 10:25Georgia Hardstark?

  Yes, let them come to you.

• 10:26Karen Kilgariff?

  I love that. "He especially liked to tuck up against my neck and take naps while hiding under my long hair."

• 10:32Georgia Hardstark?

  Aww.

• 10:33Karen Kilgariff?

  "When he was positioned like this, he was often hidden from view." Yeah, Peachy just needed to feel safe.

• 10:38Georgia Hardstark?

  Good Peachy.

• 10:39Karen Kilgariff?

  Fast forward to a late summer evening when I was 47 years old.

• 10:43Georgia Hardstark?

  What?

• 10:44Karen Kilgariff?

  No.

• 10:46Karen Kilgariff?

  "Fast forward to a late summer evening during my 10th year. I was quietly playing with some toys in the front yard of my house, and Peachy in his customary position dozing under my hair when a car pulled up in front of my house. There was an adult woman inside that I didn't recognize. She said that she was lost and that she was looking for the house of one of my neighbors and if I wouldn't mind helping her. I remember being a little nervous about the whole situation from the get-go, but I recognized the surname of the family she said she was looking for." So I thought it was a pretty legitimate request. You're 10 years old.

• 11:17Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 11:17Karen Kilgariff?

  She then asked if I would be willing to take a ride with her and show her the way step by step.

• 11:22Georgia Hardstark?

  Okay, no adult who is trustworthy would ask a child to get in their car, a child.

• 11:28Karen Kilgariff?

  A child.

• 11:29Georgia Hardstark?

  Like, it's just so creepy.

• 11:31Karen Kilgariff?

  And also, no sane adult would get involved in something like that. Or just like, that wouldn't be the solution to your problem. That would be you having a whole new set of problems with the police.

• 11:41Georgia Hardstark?

  Jesus.

• 11:42Karen Kilgariff?

  Okay, I was trying to politely decline and indicate that I needed to go when she took hold of my arm, still trying to act nice, but insistent now that I go with her.

• 11:51Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh, my god.

• 11:51Karen Kilgariff?

  Big mistake. Peachy, for some reason, remember Peachy was a bitter little bird. Peachy, for some reason, had remained quiet during this whole exchange. But as soon as the lady grabbed my arm, he lashed out at the woman and bit her hand so hard that as she drew back, he stayed attached to her by his beak, his little wings beating frantically to keep balance as she tried to shake him off.

• 12:13Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh, my god.

• 12:14Karen Kilgariff?

  Luckily, he let go before the lady's flailing could seriously hurt him, and he seemed none the worse for wear after crash-landing to the ground, though he was giving off alarm screams. I didn't know what the woman did after that, as I was too focused on getting Peachy and myself back inside my house as quickly as possible, though I'm sure the commotion caused her to leave quickly.

• 12:33Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh, my god.

• 12:34Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah. I still think of Peachy as a hero who very well could have saved my life that day.

• 12:38Georgia Hardstark?

  He did. Absolutely. You know what? And I bet Peachy sitting on her neck there was like, felt her adrenaline go up and like, just could tell something was wrong.

• 12:46Karen Kilgariff?

  Yes.

• 12:46Georgia Hardstark?

  Right? Absolutely.

• 12:48Karen Kilgariff?

  Her little heart starts racing. She's like, I don't, I feel weird.

• 12:51Georgia Hardstark?

  Peachy's like, uh-oh.

• 12:53Karen Kilgariff?

  Peachy's like, you feel weird? I feel weird.

• 12:55Georgia Hardstark?

  I'm gonna attack this fucking lady. I've been waiting my whole life for this.

• 12:59Karen Kilgariff?

  Finally, it's justified.

• 13:00Georgia Hardstark?

  I'm gonna cry. Okay, go on.

• 13:02Karen Kilgariff?

  And also, just that idea that like, if those other kids were abusive, it's like, you can imagine kids grabbing a bird or something like that, where he doesn't like those kinds of moves anyway.

• 13:10Georgia Hardstark?

  And then he does it to her as person, and he's like, fuck this shit.

• 13:13Karen Kilgariff?

  Fuck you.

• 13:16Karen Kilgariff?

  Hi, Peachy, fuck you. Peachy goes full metal, death metal. It's been 10 years since Peachy passed away, but I still love him with all my heart and I know he loved me in return just as much, if not more. Stay sexy and know that pets will always remember and appreciate all the love you give them. Lee.

• 13:35Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh my god.

• 13:36Karen Kilgariff?

  Lee, you got Georgia. You got her.

• 13:38Georgia Hardstark?

  You really got me.

• 13:39Karen Kilgariff?

  You got her. Yeah.

• 13:41Georgia Hardstark?

  But a bird, like a bird doesn't have to love you. Cats, they love people. Dogs, they love people. But a bird.

• 13:48Karen Kilgariff?

  A bird's like, do you have any sunflower seeds?

• 13:50Georgia Hardstark?

  Right.

• 13:50Karen Kilgariff?

  We're done.

• 13:51Georgia Hardstark?

  I kinda don't care.

• 13:52Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah.

• 13:52Georgia Hardstark?

  But then it's like when a bird loves you, you're a really special person.

• 13:55Karen Kilgariff?

  A bird with a peach-colored face?

• 13:57Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh.

• 13:58Karen Kilgariff?

  Get over here, Peachy.

• 14:00Georgia Hardstark?

  Okay, I have a hero calico. Just imagine it's Dottie. She looks exactly like my Dottie.

• 14:03Karen Kilgariff?

  Okay.

• 14:04Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh, hey there. Not sure if this is the type of animal hero stories you're looking for, but here goes. When I was five years old, my mom got us, her, my brother and I, some kittens from my great aunt's farm. Feisty little fucks, but they were all very sweet once we brought them home. Farm cats, man.

• 14:21Karen Kilgariff?

  Hmm.

• 14:21Georgia Hardstark?

  Don't fuck with them.

• 14:22Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah.

• 14:22Georgia Hardstark?

  One cat in particular was named Maddie and she was a calico who loved everybody. When I was six years old, she had this weird habit and would rub up against the back of my head aggressively and wouldn't stop even when I pushed her away and never did this to anyone else. We love these fucking stories.

• 14:38Karen Kilgariff?

  Hmm.

• 14:38Georgia Hardstark?

  She would climb up on the back of the couch and push so hard against my head, she almost pushed me off the couch a couple times. This is, I was a small child. Around the same time, I was constantly sick with dizziness, vomiting and ringing in my ears. And it says, side note, I didn't know how to describe ringing in my ears to my mom, so I would say, the cats are in my ears and won't stop meowing.

• 14:59Karen Kilgariff?

  Hmm.

• 14:59Georgia Hardstark?

  Get it?

• 15:00Karen Kilgariff?

  That's so smart.

• 15:01Georgia Hardstark?

  Fast forward one year, my mom decided to take me in to get some tests done because I was so sick all the time and nothing had helped. Turns out I had a goddamn brain tumor.

• 15:11Karen Kilgariff?

  That cat knew she had a brain tumor.

• 15:12Georgia Hardstark?

  Long story short, I had surgery and everything is fine now. When I had lots of, like a long story short.

• 15:18Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah, exactly. Thank you for that very needed synopsis.

• 15:21Georgia Hardstark?

  Appreciate you. When I got home from the hospital, the first thing Maddie did was jump up onto the back of the couch where I was sitting. She walked back and forth a couple of times and sniffed my head. My mother just stared, not saying anything. Maddie jumped down and walked away without pushing or rubbing on my head. My mom's eyes got wide and said, "Oh, my God," out loud. We just stared at each other while Maddie sat next to me and licked her paws like nothing had ever happened. For the rest of her life, she never pushed my head the way she had before. And from then on, my mother and I decided that she knew something was wrong with me and was trying to warn us. Although Maddie wasn't the reason I went to the doctor, I still consider her my hero cat, and she was my best friend for 17 years.

• 16:03Georgia Hardstark?

  Stay sexy and trust those bitchy little calicoes. Best, Jennifer. And here's a picture, a couple of pictures of Maddie. And then Jennifer got a tattoo of Maddie's paw prints with her name written on it. It's so beautiful.

• 16:16Karen Kilgariff?

  Also, that cat is so cute.

• 16:18Georgia Hardstark?

  So sweet. I have a bitchy little, I have two bitchy little calicoes and they are just the best.

• 16:23Karen Kilgariff?

  They're so cute. Little comic book cats.

• 16:25Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 16:28Georgia Hardstark?

  The holidays are coming, which means we'll all be spending more time away from home.

• 16:31Karen Kilgariff?

  Whether you're visiting family or doing something actually fun, you want to know your home is protected while you're away.

• 16:37Georgia Hardstark?

  That's why now is a good time to think about home security with SimpliSafe.

• 16:40Karen Kilgariff?

  Unlike traditional security systems that alert you after a break-in starts, SimpliSafe is designed to help stop intruders before they get inside. These days, you're worried about your house, you're out of town, and then something comes up and you get to look on your phone and SimpliSafe is going to show you not only the video of like, "It's a raccoon at your front door," but also that they have staff that's sitting there, they already know. And if it was something different or worse, they would have already been on it.

• 17:06Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah, I really think that's invaluable peace of mind that just like relying on your neighbors, paying attention is not going to give you. We've partnered with SimpliSafe to offer our listeners their biggest savings of the year. 70% off your new system with professional monitoring when you visit simplisafe.com/mfm.

• 17:23Karen Kilgariff?

  That's simplisafe.com/mfm.

• 17:26Karen Kilgariff?

  And when you order, write in MFM at checkout and it tells them we sent you and it really helps the show.

• 17:31Georgia Hardstark?

  Simply safe, ahead of crime, in real time.

• 17:34Karen Kilgariff?

  Goodbye. We've all had moments where dealing with healthcare or insurance feels completely overwhelming.

• 17:40Georgia Hardstark?

  You're sick, worried about someone you love, trying to understand what comes next, and suddenly you're spending hours on hold, filling out paperwork and trying to figure out who to call.

• 17:48Karen Kilgariff?

  Research shows patients spend the equivalent of an eight-hour workday every month coordinating their own care.

• 17:54Georgia Hardstark?

  Nobody hands you a roadmap when you're dealing with a diagnosis or ongoing health issues.

• 17:59Karen Kilgariff?

  That's why there's Solace Health.

• 18:00Georgia Hardstark?

  Solace provides personal healthcare advocates who average 16 years of healthcare experience and can help you get answers fast.

• 18:06Karen Kilgariff?

  Think of them as someone in your corner who understands the healthcare system and can handle the logistics while you focus on your health.

• 18:12Georgia Hardstark?

  They can help with appointments, insurance denials, medical bills, treatment options, and understanding doctor recommendations.

• 18:18Karen Kilgariff?

  Research shows 92% of patients report a positive impact on their care from working with an advocate.

• 18:24Georgia Hardstark?

  Advocacy improves outcomes and Solace advocates are covered by insurance nationwide.

• 18:29Karen Kilgariff?

  Eligibility varies by insurance plan.

• 18:31Georgia Hardstark?

  Advocates do not provide medical or legal advice or services must be 18 years or older.

• 18:35Karen Kilgariff?

  Go to solacehealth.com/murder to see if you qualify.

• 18:39Georgia Hardstark?

  It takes about two minutes and it's covered by insurance.

• 18:41Karen Kilgariff?

  That's S-O-L-A-C-E health.com/murder. Goodbye.

• 18:48Karen Kilgariff?

  The subject line of this email is Butter Dog. Hi, everyone. I told myself I could write in when I finally got caught up on episodes and seven years later, here we are.

• 18:57Georgia Hardstark?

  Oh, my God. How many of our people are waiting? Like, send your emails now, please.

• 19:01Karen Kilgariff?

  That's the old saying, send your emails while you can. Today, I want to tell you about Trevor. Trevor was not a hero dog, nor a villain dog. He is better described as a butter dog. We got Trevor on Craigslist on my first day of eighth grade, all the way back in 2011. The family's dog accidentally had a litter of puppies and Trevor got returned because he was too crazy for the person who picked him.

• 19:23Georgia Hardstark?

  Yikes.

• 19:25Karen Kilgariff?

  They asked for $25 and a good home. My dad brought two 20s they couldn't find change for, but Trevor was worth far more than $40.

• 19:32Georgia Hardstark?

  Aww.

• 19:34Karen Kilgariff?

  Trevor had the biggest paws and the sassiest attitude and destroyed everything that he could. He was some type of big, black lab mix with a white T on his forehead. He was lovingly called T-Bone by my father.

• 19:46Georgia Hardstark?

  Cute.

• 19:49Karen Kilgariff?

  Trevor was also a bit of a misogynist and adamantly refused to listen to me or my mother. That's funny. Imagine it's 2012 or so. I was probably wearing a neon or peplum and I definitely had a mustache drawn on my finger. Remember how huge that was? The tattoos? Yeah. I was home alone, not sure why, when I heard a little weird coughing sound coming from the kitchen. It sounded somewhere between a cough and barfing and 13-year-old me went to investigate. I walked into the kitchen to see Trevor hacking up small yellow blobs on the hardwood floor. I wasn't sure what was going on, but I pried his mouth open to find an entire stick of cold butter lodged in the back of his throat. Oh, no. The whole thing.

• 20:33Karen Kilgariff?

  He was choking on it, coughing up bits as it melted. Seemingly fearless, I acted. I took my 13-year-old hand and reached it down his throat, extracting the semi-melted but mostly cold stick of butter. Oh, my god. My father, Kevin, is the youngest of six in an Irish Catholic military family. Shout out to Irish Catholics, am I right, Karen? It's in parentheses. Kevin eats butter at an aggressive rate. Our father, Kevin. Oh, my god. Every day, a fresh stick got put out on the butter dish. Kevin, however, rarely remembers to put the cover back on the butter dish. Kevin. It seems that Trevor put his big paws up on the counter and scarfed down the entire stick. Damn. This story became lore within my family. That Christmas Eve, when all the family gathered, my father declared it was time for me to tell the butter story.

• 21:18Karen Kilgariff?

  Me, now 14, was telling the story slowly and deliberately, really building up the mystery. Partway through the story, I hear a weird sound coming from the kitchen. A half-barf, half-cough type of sound. No. And then it says, there was, all caps, no period fucking period way, period. I stopped my story to rush into the kitchen and find Trevor barfing up little blobs of butter yet again. Knowing the routine, I stick my hand down his throat and pull out the stick to both the amusement and horror of my aunts, uncles, and cousins. Oh, my god. Trevor was the best boy and worst boy. He gave. I love that. He gave us 12 amazing years and he will live on forever as our best butter dog. Stay sexy and cherish your butter dogs while you can. Kendall, she hurt.

• 22:03Karen Kilgariff?

  I love it. I love a bad dog. George Lopez was a butter dog. Yeah, for sure. She took a whole butter dish outside and buried, she ate the butter and then buried the dish in the lawn. She might need it for her next stick of butter. When she gets her own apartment, finally.

• 22:20Georgia Hardstark?

  Okay, my last one isn't a dog, and it's not a cat, and it's not a bird, it's a horse.

• 22:24Karen Kilgariff?

  Hmm.

• 22:26Georgia Hardstark?

  A horse named Hero, who eventually lived up to his name. Hello, murder ladies. I used to work in a town on the west coast, near the beach, as a cashier at a little gas station. It was a pretty popular spot for people traveling to Mexico to stop for refreshments and bathroom breaks before hitting the border, but also had a lot of locals who liked to hang around all day. One such local was a young girl around 30, we'll call her Cleo, who rode her beautiful black Mustang horse named Hero to the store every day in order to buy a pack of beer or a stick of beef jerky. Cleo panhandled for tips at the gas station from travelers as she performed tricks on her horse or let people pet him.

• 23:04Karen Kilgariff?

  That's cool.

• 23:05Georgia Hardstark?

  The gas station wasn't in a rural area, so she attracted a lot of attention from passersby. That's so cool. I would totally like immediately beeline for the horse.

• 23:12Karen Kilgariff?

  If you were in a city and all of a sudden there's a horse standing there?

• 23:15Georgia Hardstark?

  A giant, beautiful, big, black horse.

• 23:16Karen Kilgariff?

  Yes, please.

• 23:17Georgia Hardstark?

  She probably made more money than I did working at the job. I worked the late shift one Friday night and got off work around 1 a.m. As I was locking up to leave, I noticed a tall, thin man across the street looking into the windows of one of the apartments. I instantly felt a pit in my stomach and decided to exit out the back door and head to my car that was parked about five blocks away. It says, ugh, beach town parking, am I right? I walked quickly to my car, I peered over my shoulder, and unfortunately, not to my surprise, the man was now crossing the street diagonally right in my direction. He closed the gap quickly and called out to me, "Hey, do you have a phone I can use?" I said nothing because fuck politeness and began to jog down the street to my car, which was now in my sight.

• 23:59Georgia Hardstark?

  I heard his footsteps right behind me and glanced to see him reaching out his hand. I screamed and began to run. Suddenly, from around the corner in front of me, I hear a familiar voice and the fast galloping hooves of a horse.

• 24:13Karen Kilgariff?

  Oh my god.

• 24:14Georgia Hardstark?

  There in front of me, charging up the street, rode Cleo on her horse, Hero. Cleo was shouting profanities at the top of her lungs and swinging a beer bottle over her head. The man turned and ran back towards the apartment while I heard him say, "Is that a horse?" Fuck her. Cleo flew past me and chased the man, tossing her bottle at him as he ducked around a corner.

• 24:36Karen Kilgariff?

  This is like, it's like a movie.

• 24:38Georgia Hardstark?

  I know.

• 24:38Karen Kilgariff?

  That's the best thing of all time.

• 24:39Georgia Hardstark?

  I know. I stood in shock as Cleo disappeared after him and tried to figure out what had just happened. She was just standing there. I had no idea where she came from or what the hell she was doing riding a horse at 1:00 a.m., but I was sure happy to see her.

• 24:52Karen Kilgariff?

  Yes.

• 24:52Georgia Hardstark?

  Soon after, Hero came trotting around the corner with Cleo atop of him, a beaming smile from ear to ear on her face. She came up to me while saying, "I've always wanted to do that." She walked me to my car and then turned and disappeared in the direction of the man. She fucking was going back for him.

• 25:07Karen Kilgariff?

  Yeah.

• 25:08Georgia Hardstark?

  Needless to say, I never worked the night shift again and paid for Cleo's beer the next time I saw her and told Hero, he really was a hero for me that night. Thank you both for being a safe space to talk about tough things and reminding us all to care about our mental health, Sarah.

• 25:23Karen Kilgariff?

  Sarah, that, I love that story so much.

• 25:26Georgia Hardstark?

  Fucking Hero.

• 25:27Karen Kilgariff?

  I kind of like forgot, like, the whole setup at the beginning made me forget what was happening. And then suddenly it's like, yeah, Hero's gonna come back into this.

• 25:35Georgia Hardstark?

  We all have, we all need Hero once in a while.

• 25:37Karen Kilgariff?

  But also, like, I think we do need more horses in urban areas.

• 25:42Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah, let's do it.

• 25:42Karen Kilgariff?

  They're so magical.

• 25:43Georgia Hardstark?

  They are.

• 25:44Karen Kilgariff?

  Let's do it. Let's start a campaign.

• 25:46Georgia Hardstark?

  Let's be the change we want to see in the world, in the horse world or whatever.

• 25:49Karen Kilgariff?

  Just, just let a bunch of wild horses loose.

• 25:53Georgia Hardstark?

  Do you have stories about amazing pets? You can still write them in at [email protected]. Horse stories, crazy stories, everything.

• 26:00Karen Kilgariff?

  Whatever best story you have about any pet. Or I like the idea of also, they don't have to be heroes.

• 26:06Georgia Hardstark?

  No, we like bad pets, for sure.

• 26:07Karen Kilgariff?

  Bad pets are great, average pets that you just really liked.

• 26:11Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 26:12Karen Kilgariff?

  Do whatever you want.

• 26:12Georgia Hardstark?

  Yeah.

• 26:13Karen Kilgariff?

  We love you. Stay sexy.

• 26:14Georgia Hardstark?

  And don't get murdered.

• 26:15Karen Kilgariff?

  Goodbye. Elvis, do you want a cookie?

• 26:25Karen Kilgariff?

  This has been an Exactly Right production.

• 26:27Georgia Hardstark?

  Our senior producers are Alejandra Keck and Molly Smith.

• 26:30Karen Kilgariff?

  Our editor is Aristotle Acevedo.

• 26:32Georgia Hardstark?

  This episode was mixed by Liana Scolacci.

• 26:34Karen Kilgariff?

  Email your hometowns to [email protected].

• 26:37Georgia Hardstark?

  And follow the show on Instagram at MyFavoriteMurder.

• 26:40Karen Kilgariff?

  Listen to My Favorite Murder on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

• 26:44Georgia Hardstark?

  And now you can watch us on Exactly Right's YouTube page. And while you're there, please like and subscribe.

• 26:49Karen Kilgariff?

  Goodbye.

• 26:56Karen Kilgariff?

  Vacation planning should feel like a breeze, not a deep dive into countless travel sites searching for the best deal.

• 27:02Georgia Hardstark?

  With CheapCaribbean's Budget Beach Finder, you can search every destination and every date all in one search.

• 27:07Karen Kilgariff?

  You'll save time and money with the Budget Beach Finder.

• 27:10Georgia Hardstark?

  Say goodbye to endless scrolling and tab hopping and hello to budget beach bliss at your fingertips.

• 27:15Karen Kilgariff?

  Go to cheapcaribbean.com to try out the Budget Beach Finder and see just how stress-free vacation planning should be.

• 27:21Georgia Hardstark?

  Goodbye.

• 27:23Speaker 02

  She's been thinking about this sleepover all week, but I think about her food allergies all the time. Fortunately, her doctor prescribed Zolair, omalizumab. It's proven to significantly reduce allergic reactions if a food allergy accident happens.

• 27:36Speaker 03

  Zolair 150mg is a prescription medication used to treat food allergy in people one year of age and older to reduce allergic reactions due to accidental exposure to one or more foods. While taking Zolair, you should continue to avoid all foods to which you are allergic. Don't use if you are allergic to Zolair. Zolair may cause a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. Tell your doctor if you ever had anaphylaxis. Get help right away if you have trouble breathing or if you have swelling of your throat or tongue. Zolair should not be used for the emergency treatment of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. Zolair is for maintenance use to reduce allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, while avoiding food allergens. Serious side effects such as cancer, fever, muscle aches and rash, parasitic infection, or heart and circulation problems have been reported. Please see zolair.com for full prescribing information. Ask an allergist about Zolair. This is an advertisement for Zolair,

• 28:21Speaker 03

  paid for by Genentech and Novartis.

• 28:23Speaker 04

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