MOUNTLAKE TERRACE, Wash. — It all started with problem pipes in the bathroom of Kristina Robinson's Mountlake Terrace home.
It was a problem made worse when workers inadvertently clogged the pipes with rags.
The situation got so bad Kristina, her husband, and their three kids had to spend Christmas in a hotel room.
"It was definitely a huge nightmare," said Kristina. "When you have three small kids, Christmas morning is all the excitement, and we were not able to have that."
While they were displaced, the family had to leave their 5-year-old pitbull Chevy in his crate at home.
When they returned to check on him, Chevy was very sick.
The stress of the separation apparently prompted Chevy to destroy his bed and eat part of a plastic toy.
The vet said he needed a very expensive emergency surgery that the family couldn't afford.
The only other option was to put him down.
"I don't have a wealthy family to fall back on, so I loaded him into the car to take him to be euthanized," said Kristina. "Me and my kids were bawling. We went through all of this over the holidays with our plumbing and our home. Now we're gonna lose our dog?"
Workers at ServiceMaster in Redmond took responsibility for the plumbing mishap.
With nowhere else to turn, Kristina reached out to the company's owner, Jay Olsen, to tell him about their sick dog.
"We had 24 hours to get the surgery done," Kristina said. "He told me that from a business owner's perspective that was not his responsibility."
But that didn't stop Jay Olsen from doing the right thing.
The humble, soft-spoken businessman gladly paid the $4,000 for Chevy's surgery.
On Monday, Kristina, her kids, and Chevy all showed up to the Redmond offices to express their gratitude.
"Thanks for saving our dog," the kids said, as they hugged Olsen and gave him a thank you card.
"I understand how much families rely on their dogs and dogs rely on their families," said Olsen "It's just one of those decisions that you make. This dog belongs with this family."
It was a business decision that had nothing to do with business.
It had everything to do with simply doing the right thing and giving a family back their best friend.
"There is so much ugliness, greed, and selfishness in the world these days," said Kristina. "Jay didn't have to do this. I think it's important to see these stories and remember there are still good people in this world. We are forever grateful."