Emily & Dave | Betrayal Weekly

This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed Human. If you've tried everything to lose weight and still feel stuck, this summer can be different. Weight Loss by HERS is designed to support you in reaching your goals with access to an affordable range of FDA-approved GLP-1 medications, including the Wagovi pill and the Wagovi pen. With Wagovi at HERS, you can lose up to 20% of your body weight when combined with diet and exercise. It helps regulate appetite, eat less, and keep weight off. And the Wagovi pill means no needles needed. Everything is 100% online. Connect with a licensed provider, and if prescribed, your medication is delivered to your door. Plus, get 24-7 care team messaging and lifestyle and nutrition support in the app. Ready to reach your goals? Visit 4HERS.com slash betrayal to get personalized, affordable care that gets you. That's F-O-R-H-E-R-S dot com slash betrayal. 4HERS.com slash betrayal. Weight Loss by HERS is not available in all 50 states. Wagovi is the registered trademark of Novo Nordisk AS. To get started and learn more, including important safety information, Wagovi clinical study information, and restrictions, visit 4HERS.com. What if you could save up for that new car or vacation just by buying the stuff you're already buying? With the OnePay banking app, you earn 3% cash back on up to $150 in monthly spending in categories you choose, so it's easy to save. For me, I'd love to save up for a really nice vacation and maybe put some money aside for a new car. It's always nice having something to look forward to, and knowing you're actually making progress towards those bigger goals feels really good. So what are you saving for? Download the OnePay app or visit OnePay.com for banking that gives you more for what matters. OnePay is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by Coastal Community Bank or Lead Bank, member FDIC. Cash back is earned as OnePay points, redeemable in a OnePay deposit account or other available options. Individual reward details can be found in the OnePay app. See OnePay rewards terms at OnePay.com forward slash rewards dash terms. This is Jenny Garth from I Choose Me and 9021OMG. This episode is sponsored by Veracity, a modern metabolic health brand. Feeling bloated, tired, or stuck? That's your metabolism, not willpower. Veracity's Metabolism Ignite balances hormones, eases bloating, and regulates appetite, helping to create a daily habit that pays off over time. It's doctor formulated, clinically backed, side effect free. No extreme diets, no needles. So before Metabolism Ignite sells out again, head to VeracityHealth.co and use code IHEART for up to 55% off your order. Once again, that's V-E-R-A-C-I-T-Y health.co for up to 55% off. Remember, you use my promo code IHEART so they know I sent you. In the U.S., there's a break-in every 26 seconds. But when intruders step near, SimpliSafe Home Security steps up. Using the Outdoor Camera Series 2 and advanced AI alerts, SimpliSafe's U.S.-based live agents identify threats on your property and help deter them, stopping the crime before it starts. SimpliSafe, no long-term contracts. Monitoring and deterrence plans start around a dollar a day. And right now, you can save 50% on your new SimpliSafe. Safe system at SimpliSafe.com slash the girlfriends. That's half off at SimpliSafe.com slash the girlfriends. There's no safe like SimpliSafe. I just remember feeling gutted. Completely gutted. This was my darkest year that he wouldn't come back. I'm Andrea Gunning, and this is Betrayal, a show about the people we trust the most and the deceptions that change everything. This is one of the most unique betrayal stories we've ever heard, where the betrayal centers around an animal. Many of us know how important pets are, because to many, they are family. For our storyteller, this is a betrayal of friendship and chosen family. My name is Emily McLeod. The biggest thing you have to understand about Emily is that she loves animals. To look into the eyes of an animal is to see their soul and to see beyond the fact that they're just a four-legged furry being. And animals do feel sadness and hope and joy and happiness and delight. As we look into the eyes of an animal, we see that they're not just a four-legged furry being. They're just a four-legged furry being. As far back as she can remember, animals have been part of her life. Emily grew up with her parents and older brother in northern Alberta, where the Canadian winters are long. As a kid, she'd roam around outside in the snow, enamored with the wildlife. I would always find injured animals and bring them home and bottle feed the baby bunnies and the baby squirrels and the birds. Emily's parents kept a full house, with an ever-expanding cast of furry, feathered, and four-legged animals. We always had a dog growing up, and she was a Springer Spaniel. My brother always had snakes and lizards and toads and frogs. Emily's parents taught her that each creature deserves special care and attention. And years later, she carried that lesson with her to Kansas City, where she studied to become a chiropractor. Even my chiropractic career has had a trajectory toward caring for animals. I became certified in animal chiropractic. It's a unique career. There are only about 1,600 animal chiropractors in the world, and Emily is one of them. She runs her own practice where she spends her days treating racehorses, pigs with hip dysplasia, and cats with arthritis. But there's one animal that will always have her heart. I love big dogs, and I had a couple of Labradors. So she was excited when, in 2012, a local dog breeder reached out to her. I got a call from this really nice person who had a lot of very hard questions for me. She had a dog that was called a Cane Corso dog, and she asked me if I knew what a Cane Corso was, and I did not. The woman explained Cane Corsos are special dogs. They are muscular Italian guard dogs with enormous heads, gentle in nature, but a fierce-looking exterior. And she very kindly called and wanted to make sure that I wouldn't have any troubles interacting with this dog. The voice on the other end of the line was Betsy Schock, a woman who raised show dogs. She had a young Cane Corso that she was getting ready to show, and she wanted her to be in top shape. Emily assured her that she was up for the job, so Betsy Schock showed up at the clinic with her puppy. A super sweet, beautiful Cane Corso. Just stunning. And Emily immediately connected with Betsy. She's just very easy to talk with. She was all about her dog. For Betsy Schock, this dog was more than a pet. Soon, she'd be traveling around the country with her, competing in dog shows. So she brought her dog back to Emily's clinic regularly. Emily had tons of clients, but there was something about Betsy Schock. She was warm and unpretentious. And I always saved extra time for their appointments because I genuinely enjoyed visiting with Betsy. Emily fell in love. With her Cane Corso, too. I loved her so much. And I remember one day I was taking care of her, and I just made the offhand comment, man, if she ever had a litter of puppies, I would love one of her puppies. Over time, Emily got to know Betsy well. Whenever she came to the clinic, Betsy spoke passionately about how well her dog was doing in the ring. She was very proud of her work, and it was just nice to learn from someone who was very confident in what they did. Betsy gave her insight, into this strange world of the American Kennel Club, a scene Emily knew very little about. Emily was surprised to learn that people don't usually win any money at dog shows. For Betsy, it was truly a passion project. The idea behind AKC Dog Showing is preservation of breeds. And so the people that show their dogs that go to this great expense are generally very passionate about preserving historic breeds. Betsy was passionate about Corsos in particular. Betsy's ultimate goal was to become an AKC judge. A person trusted to decide which dogs best represent a breed. If Betsy bred enough Corsos that reached championship status, she could get there. But shows were a huge time investment, and it often meant sending her beloved pup away with a handler for the weekend. She loved having her at home, hated when she was on the road, being away from her to show. One day, Emily decided to invite Betsy, her husband, and their dogs over to her place. At the time, Emily's house was connected to 10 acres of wooded land. So a couple of times they even came out and brought their other dogs to let them run my acreage where I had trails carved through, just to let them run off leash. As the seasons changed, Emily and Betsy grew closer. It was an organic kind of friendship, the kind where you don't even notice it happening. And then, in 2021, In 2013, Emily met someone. My name is Dave Jennings. Dave is also a chiropractor, and as soon as they met, it was clear they had a connection. In two years, they were married. For the rest of this episode, Dave's going to tell this story along with his wife. From the start, Dave embraced Emily's love for animals. So I've always liked dogs and cats. And then with Emily, well, definitely more than I would have ever thought. Animals in the house, for sure. Those are some of the real everyday sounds at Emily and Dave's place, a seven-acre property they bought to build their new life together. We walked out into the backyard, and we said, this is it. We're buying a dog park. And so we bought the house literally for our dogs. It became more than just a space for dogs. Their family grew into a motley crew, comprised of cats, dogs, and several 100-pound rescue pigs, including one who used to be a cat. One who uses a wheelchair. Yes, you heard that correctly. So this is Maxwell. He came with a spinal cord injury. He knows how to navigate his wheels to turn and go backwards. He's really fast. He's living his very best wheelchair pig life. Emily and Dave were in their early 40s when they met, and having kids just wasn't in the cards for them. But that didn't stop them from building their own kind of family. We can't have children. So we're not going to have children. So we pour our love and college funds into the animals that we have. To some people, they're just dogs. But to us, they're family members. Emily and Dave knew they lived an unusual lifestyle. They're self-proclaimed introverts whose ideal evening is spent playing fetch. Not everyone could relate. But Emily's friend, Betsy Shock, did. Betsy's life was all about her Cane Corsos. As soon as Dave entered the picture, they introduced him to Betsy's husband, Toby Shock. Toby was a retired bull rider. And Dave appreciated his wisdom and good humor. I mean, boy, talk about great stories. And he had this gravelly voice that was just, it's like an old Western. Well, gosh, I think he got gored in the neck by a bull when he was a bull rider. And that's why he had a real gravelly voice. Yeah. He's like an old cowboy, you know? That was Toby. The four of them became fast friends. I think it's safe to say Betsy and Toby were introverts, just like Dave and I. We didn't really like a lot of people, but the people that we did like, we really liked. It was special to meet people on the same wavelength. Dave and I don't like to go out. We're kind of homebodies, and they were too. They started getting together more often, but never without their pets. Our friendship really revolved around the dogs. It usually involved us hanging out in their big backyard on the picnic table, just with dogs running around and just kind of shooting the breeze. Around this time, something exciting happened. The Shocks-prized Cane Corso gave birth to a litter of puppies. Betsy let Dave and I come over the day after and let us enjoy what we call the puppy vortex. Dave and Emily spent long afternoons helping the Shocks tend to the litter. Bottle feed or change sheets or clean puppies or whatever they needed help with. It was just giving them a little bit of a respite because raising puppies, it's a big deal. The Shocks were so grateful for the extra hands, they offered us. Yes, a puppy from the litter as a gift, as a thank you for all that we had done. Toby Shocks said he knew just the right puppy for Emily and Dave. He pointed to her and the litter. He had a way with animals. He could read animals better than anybody. And he goes, That dog's gonna be a great one. You know, that's that gravelly voice he's got. Yeah, that's just what he would say. At the time, it was the most generous, the most generous gift Emily and Dave had ever received. We saw how much they financially put in with the vet care and the food. So we gave them an envelope filled with money. We said, you're going to take this. We don't want you guys to be out money for a dog you're gifting us. But the Shocks would just hand it back. A couple weeks later, I was getting ready to go on a mission trip to Africa. And they gave almost all of that money back to me as a donation to the mission trip. Their friendship was like a gift, passed back and forth over and over. And after a year spent in the puppy vortex, the Shocks started to feel like family. But in 2017, Toby Shocks' health took a grave turn. He had liver cancer. He had already battled cancer previously and gone into remission. And as we all know, cancer, when it comes back, it does come back with a bit of a vengeance. Suddenly, things that had been easy for Toby became hard. Toby was really sick. And he was in and out of the hospital during those months. Betsy was stretched thin, working long hours to provide for her and Toby and pay for his medical expenses. She had to put dog showing on pause. They were in survival mode. So Emily and Dave stepped up wherever they could. Just going over and stopping and helping clean up the pen where the dogs are out so he doesn't have to go out and do that. Little physical things. And that morphed into Dave running errands or taking him to appointments occasionally. We would take meals over. The Shocks had been so giving. Emily and Dave never hesitated to return the favor. When friends are in a time of need, you're just there to help how you can. It was a trying time. But the couples still managed to share moments of joy. In the fall of 2017, the Shocks' Connie Corso was pregnant again. They invited. They invited Emily and Dave over to their house just before the birth of the new litter. Emily was sitting next to their dog when she went into labor. And Betsy said, That's a puppy. Catch it. So I caught it. Emily looked down at the squirming little creature. It was so precious and fit into the palm of her hand. And soon, that puppy had a name. And it was Oscar. Just like last time, Emily and Dave helped care for the litter. And they noticed. Oscar always needed a little extra love. He was a young, growing puppy, and he needed so much attention. And he was very vocal. And sometimes we would just get the SOS text from Toby or Betsy saying, can you just come pick him up and take him with you? Emily and Dave felt a special connection to Oscar. Their bond was instant. And the Shocks saw it, too. October 1st, 2017, we met Toby and Betsy at a lake to swim the dogs. Just as they were about to head home. The Shocks asked them something. They said, hey, we would like for you to consider taking Oscar and making him part of your family. Even at five months old, Betsy could tell Oscar would grow into a gorgeous dog. But she said with her husband sick, she didn't have time for another pet. She just had one ask. Betsy said, if I get back into showing, I would like the opportunity to show him and get his champion, because that's what helps me. That's what helps me earn my metrics to be an AKC judge. Show dogs can't be neutered. So Betsy also wanted to make sure he was left intact. This all sounded reasonable. Dave just wanted to clarify one thing. I asked Betsy, I just want to make sure if we do this, he's my dog. And she goes, yes, he's yours. Emily and Dave were honored the Shocks would trust them with another one of their Corsos. They gave it some thought. We're not looking to add another dog. But like, these are such good friends of ours and we want to help. We want Betsy to be able to get her AKC judge goals met, especially with Toby sick. We want her to have something to look forward to. They slept on it. And the next day, we said that we would add Oscar to our family. They picked him up right away. Emily and Dave had lots of other dogs in their life. But immediately they could tell Oscar was special. He had gigantic soulful eyes. He trailed. Emily and Dave around the house and laid down at their heels. As a puppy, he was sweet. He's just the happiest dog. He loves people and he loves the attention he gets. And he just wants to cozy up to you. As the weeks turned to months, Oscar grew and grew and grew until pretty soon. He was one of the largest dogs either of them had ever seen weighing over 150 pounds. And he just turned into this. Massive dog. I mean, his head was like twice the size of a human head. As Oscar grew, so did their love for him. It was so fun to watch him grow into this amazing personality. Like you've never met a bigger bundle of joy. And everyone who's ever met him will tell you that. Emily and Dave adored Oscar. He made their family feel complete. In the summer of 2018, they received devastation. In the devastating news, Toby Shock's chemo had stopped working. He decided to stop treatment altogether. Emily and Dave were completely gutted. They started mentally preparing to say goodbye. And it's just so sad. It's so sad for all of us. Toby knew he didn't have much time left. In a quiet moment, during one of Emily and Dave's final visits, Toby asked them something. Please promise me. me you guys will take care of Betsy when I go. Sorry. Even when he was on his last day, his family, his kids were there at his house and Dave and I were the only two unrelated people that Betsy let come over and say goodbye to him. And I just remember leaning down and I just told him, I whispered in his ear, I said, Toby, you're okay to go. We're going to help take care of Betsy. But keeping that promise would prove far more difficult than they ever could have imagined. The world shifted on its axis when Toby passed. Everything changed. If you've ever tried to find a psychiatrist who accepts your insurance, you've probably run into long wait lists or providers who aren't taking new patients. It can make getting help feel even more overwhelming. That's why I'm glad to tell you about Talkiatry. Talkiatry is a 100% online psychiatry practice that provides comprehensive evaluations, diagnoses, and ongoing medication management for conditions like ADHD. Talkiatry is a 100% online psychiatry practice that provides anxiety, depression, and more. Unlike therapy-only platforms, Talkiatry is psychiatry. So you're meeting with a licensed medical provider who can diagnose mental health conditions and prescribe medication when it's appropriate. With more than 800 clinicians who accept major insurers, you can use your existing insurance instead of paying expensive out-of-network costs. Getting started is simple. You'll complete a short online assessment, get matched with a clinician who fits your needs, and you can have your first appointment in just days, not months. Head to talkiatry.com slash betrayal to complete the short assessment and get matched with an in-network psychiatrist in just a few minutes. That's T-A-L-K-I-A-T-R-Y dot com slash betrayal to get matched in minutes. Talkiatry.com slash betrayal. Okay, so buying a new car or new home starts by building credit, right? So how do you start building credit? Easy, with OnePay's Builder Card. There's no credit check and no monthly or annual fees. Just a card that helps you build credit to reach goals like buying a car or a home. When you finally make that big purchase, like buying a house, it's such an incredible feeling of accomplishment. You know how much work and how many little steps went into getting there. So finally reaching that milestone just feels amazing. OnePay is a financial technology company, not a bank, banking services provided by Coastal Community Bank or Lead Bank, member FDIC. Builder Card is available with a OnePay deposit account. Builder Card activity is reported to credit bureaus unless you opt out. Results may vary and aren't guaranteed. Debit card transactions are not reported. OneProgress Services, LLC. NMLS ID 2460509. See OnePay.com forward slash licenses. That's your willpower. It's doctor-formulated, clinically-backed, side-effect-free. Once again, that's V-E-R-A-C-I-T-Y health.co for up to 55% off and make sure you use my promo code IHEART so they know I sent you. In the U.S., there is a break-in every 26 seconds. Because when it comes to your family's safety, the best break-in protection is prevention. SimpliSafe earns your business by keeping you safe and satisfied every day. So if you're in a situation where you're in a situation where you that's why they never lock you in with long-term contracts or cancellation fees. And it's why monitoring and deterrence plans start affordably at around a dollar a day. It's no wonder that SimpliSafe has been named the best home security system by U.S. News and World Report for six years running and America's best customer service in home security by Newsweek. Join the more than six million people who trust SimpliSafe to protect their homes and families today. Right now, you can save 50% on your new SimpliSafe system at SimpliSafe.com. Toby's death weighed heavy on Emily and Dave. His friendship was one they cherished. Everything changed. Most of all for Betsy. You just don't know how somebody is going to respond to such a profound loss. We saw her spiraling, just having to deal with everything by herself for the first time in years. All of a sudden, she found herself a single mom of five dogs without anybody there to help. And I think very understandably, she was just lost for a while. Keeping up with her day job as a railroad engineer, plus the animal care, became overwhelming for Betsy. She worked long hours, and Emily and Dave grew increasingly concerned. It didn't seem like they were going to be able to do anything. She was so tired, she actually got into a couple car wrecks on the way to and from her lake home. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt. But that didn't stop Emily and Dave from worrying that something like this could happen again, or something worse. This was Emily's friend of six years. She knew she needed to help Betsy through her grief. It was important for me to know that I was going to be able to help her. It was important to us to help care for Betsy and the dogs. Emily and Dave's property had a guest apartment outside the main house. They knew they'd have to fix it up, but they approached Betsy with an invitation. She could live in our apartment if she needed to, for however long. Betsy said yes and was grateful. Emily and Dave got to work renovating. And got her apartment to the point of being livable. So she and all of her dogs moved in. Emily and Dave agreed to help out with animal care. When Betsy was working, it was a lot to juggle. But they thought it was the least they could do to help Betsy get back on her feet. She'd given them a lot, including Oscar, the dog who'd since become the center of their family. He just turned in just to the most remarkable dog and just an absolute sweetheart. Oscar was a gentle giant, over 150 pounds, but still somehow unassuming. The kind of dog you could bring to work with you that would rest quietly at your feet. When Dave opened his own clinic, Oscar became the office mascot. I have so many pictures of him with patients and kids just sitting next to him, petting him. Betsy was right. He'd grown into a magnificent creature, with a coat unlike anything they'd ever seen. Oscar is a black chestnut brindle. There are two colors intertwined, and it looks a little bit like tiger striping. But they didn't care that he was show dog quality. They loved Oscar. They loved Oscar for the way he clowned around their house and curled up at the foot of their bed. If he didn't brighten your day, there was nothing going to brighten your day. Oscar endeared himself to everyone. He was a playmate to their other Corso and a protector to their rescue pig, Polly. Polly and Oscar were the best of friends. It was like he just knew that she needed him for warmth and protection. We have hundreds of pictures of Oscar and Polly sleeping together. In another life, they could have been together. They could have gone viral on social media as an unlikely animal friendship. Eventually, Betsy said she was ready to start doing dog shows again. And she'd love to borrow Oscar for a long weekend now and then. Emily and Dave were overjoyed. They wanted their friend to get back to all the things she loved again. We were very happy for Betsy because this to us was us helping her realize her dream after the substantial loss of her husband. Of course, they'd miss Oscar while he was away. But they got him ready for his adventure. They dropped Oscar off with a handler Betsy hired. The first weekend that Oscar went away, we packed his little to-go bag and he went away with the handler. And he was in a kennel, as he is, and he ate one of his toys. So after he got back from that weekend, we had a very sick dog and had to rush him to emergency abdominal surgery to remove a toy that was basically in his colon. Emily and Dave were shaken and were relieved when Oscar pulled through. It was a horrible accident. But they knew it was just that, an accident. The handler was good. He's an AKC-registered handler. He's a good person. You know, there's no ill intent anywhere. But that was shocking to us. And also, it was a very expensive surgery for us because he was our dog. So we covered the cost of that surgery, even though it wasn't our mistake. Betsy assured them it was a fluke. And dog shows were usually very serious. And they were very serious. And they were very safe. Emily and Dave kept an open mind. Over the next several months, Betsy took him to more shows. And Oscar performed surprisingly well, bringing home all kinds of accolades. Betsy was beaming. She was always excited to share the news. And it was like, yay. And we always had text messages floating back and forth like, hey, Oscar got this. He got that. Congratulations. It's awesome. When Oscar was first showing and was winning, we were very excited for Betsy. And very proud of Oscar. We worked really hard to make sure he was happy and healthy and in show shape. Emily and Dave went to a handful of dog shows, cheered from the stands, and watched him rack up wins. But the deeper they got into that world, the more worried they became. Because every time Oscar left for a show, he seemed to come back worse for it. Wherever large crowds of animals gather, germs can spread. If one dog has a parasite or a virus, it spreads like wildfire. From our perspective, every time Oscar would go to a show, he would get sick. Oscar often came home with giardia, kennel cough, and various parasites. And he'd infect their other pets. And we were the ones on the backside dealing with the vet bills. Most shows took place over a long weekend. And in just a few days, Oscar would lose weight from the stress. And he comes back dropping 15 pounds over a weekend. We're like, whoa. That for us is a concern because, you know, he's a big dog. It's very stressful on their body. Oscar wasn't a puppy anymore. He was two. And this was starting to take a toll on him. Corsos are known to get very close to their people. And it was very stressful. Oscar did have some separation anxiety. Oscar had really specific needs. He had allergies and was on a special diet. And there were times where he would come home with a lot of his food. Or we could tell it had been prepared in a way that we would never have prepared it. The care Oscar was receiving on the road wasn't what they'd like it to be. He's business for the handler. So when the handler has five or 10 or 15 other dogs that are created, he's not giving our dog one-on-one attention. He was somebody's job. And he's our family member. For Emily and Dave, Oscar's show dog career was secondary to his well-being. This led to some tense conversations with Betsy. And she sympathized. She loved Oscar, too. But urged them to stick it out. Oscar was gaining more success. But around this time, they started noticing some changes in Betsy. She was exhausted all the time. She was snappier than she used to be, understandably. You know, we just kept chalking it up to grief. And she seemed less attentive. The care we thought she would want for her dogs to have suddenly was changing. Where we were saying, Betsy, do you want us to go let the dogs out? Like, they've been in their crates for hours. Her replies became more and more callous. No, they're fine. They're fine to be in their crates all day. They're fine to go potty in their kennels. Just not what we thought the standard of her care was. For years, Betsy's dogs had been her top priority. But now, Emily and Dave watched as she spent more and more time away from them. They were left scrambling to care for her dogs, on top of their own. We got to a point we were overextended. Betsy and her dogs were still living with them. She'd leave her dogs for days at a time. All of the care we provided for her dogs, I mean, it was just never acknowledged. There was never, like, thank you. And we had conversations with her that were just very forthright. We wanted her to have a social life. We wanted her to heal and get back up and do things. But at some point, it just became expected. Emily and Dave didn't think Betsy meant to take advantage of them. She seemed distracted. And she was starting to forget conversations. And she was really starting to act like not herself. And we were starting to say to her during the summer of 2019, like, are you okay? You've been not acting yourself lately. Is everything okay? Is there anything we can do? And she had said, no, I haven't been myself. It had been almost a year since Toby passed. There was still a lot. There was still a lot of pain there. Betsy had finally brought herself to sell Toby's old truck. She explained she made arrangements for someone to pick it up. And it was hard to say goodbye to something her husband treasured. And she did sell Toby's truck that night. And just was sobbing. Dave and Emily tried to comfort her as they sat with their dogs. When Betsy calmed down, the conversation turned to Oscar. She talked about his potential as a show dog. That is when she first used the word campaign. I want to campaign him. And we were like, what do you mean? And she said, I want to put him on the road for like a year. Emily and Dave are caught off guard. Campaigning was something only top show dogs did. It was like being a musician on tour. It would mean Oscar would be traveling, competing in dog shows full time. We're like, whoa, like that's, whoa, no, that's not, that's not something we ever talked about. Oh, we're not comfortable with that at all. Dogs at dog shows, they can spend 18 to 20 hours a day in a crate. Being a campaign dog is not being a family dog. It's literally being in a crate for hours a day on the road. And we just said to Betsy, Betsy, like, we never agreed to having him campaigned. We don't want him on the road for weeks and weeks and weeks at a time, let alone a year away from us and us from him. Emily and Dave couldn't even wrap their mind around it. For the past two years, they rarely. They go to work every day with me. 98% of my week, my dogs are with me. And they're very sensitive for as big as they are. They're very emotionally sensitive dogs. So Emily and Dave said no, they wouldn't allow it. Betsy didn't take it well. She accused us of not supporting her dreams by not allowing her to campaign Oscar. The air in the room felt heavy. Betsy was clear. She was clearly hurting. They didn't want to upset her. But they couldn't do this to Oscar. Emily and Dave hoped they could find some kind of middle ground. They told Betsy. Give us the top five shows you want him at, the ones that are the most important. We will personally take time out of work and incur the expense of getting him to the important shows you want him at. So that he doesn't have to be campaigned. Betsy seemed to appreciate this. She'd be going with Oscar and a handler to a show soon in Colorado and invited Emily and Dave to come. And then a week or two before the show, she uninvited us to go to Colorado. Saying that he would focus better if we weren't there. He would be less distracted. Betsy said they'd work out an arrangement for Oscar's show schedule when she got back. Oscar left for Colorado. Emily and Dave stayed home. Betsy talked. She texted them updates like always. Oscar won best in breed. We got a picture of Betsy and Oscar in the hotel. It should have been a happy moment. But in the photo, Betsy didn't look happy. And there was just something looking off. You know, you can just tell things looked a little off. Emily figured she'd talk to Betsy when she got back from the show. But suddenly, Betsy started sending messages that were convoluted and long-winded. It gave them pause. And every message was sent in a group chat with her handler, Sean. That was odd. And everything was paragraphs. It was like really long text. You can read them and you can just see a difference in tone and everything. Until one message made them freeze. This hard left turn of, here's a change of plans. He's not coming home. He's going to stay with Sean. He's going to go breed her bitch. And you can pick him up in Lexington, Kentucky on Labor Day. Labor Day? That was weeks away. At first, Emily and Dave didn't understand what they were reading. Dave picked up the phone and dialed Betsy. He was sure this was a misunderstanding. I called and I go, what are you saying? What's going on? Betsy said Oscar was staying on the road. There were several shows that were too important to miss. They could see him in a few weeks. Dave was blindsided. This wasn't the plan. You made a promise to me that you were going to return him. And then we were going to further discuss this new plan you had or want or your new goals, what it looks like, and then how we can all come to an agreement of what we can do. But that all went out the door. Dave saw red. He says he's not proud of what happened next. I admittedly lost my cool and I might have dropped some foul words and I was high. I was hot-headed for a little bit. Betsy hung up the phone and soon she stopped communicating with Emily, too. Betsy told them if they wanted updates about Oscar, they'd have to go through her handler, Sean. Dave texted Betsy apologizing for losing his temper. But she didn't reply. That was the point when all communication stopped. Emily and Dave began to panic. They didn't even know what city Oscar was competing in next. Days passed. It was hard to eat. It was hard to sleep. And to think of him sleeping in a basement kennel with other dogs all around versus in our house. I mean, everything about it was just everything we didn't want for Oscar. And I just remember every night praying for Oscar, just for him to be safe and for him to know that we loved him and just for Sean to be taking good care of him. No matter how many times they called, Betsy didn't answer. I kept thinking the phone's going to ring and Betsy's going to call and say, you guys, I'm so sorry. I lost my mind for a minute. I'm bringing Oscar home. Let's talk about this. Everything's going to be okay. We were waiting for that because that's the Betsy we had known. That's the Betsy I'd known for seven years. That phone call never came. Emily and Dave waited anxiously. We were told we could pick him up Labor Day Monday in Lexington, Kentucky at a dog show he was supposed to be at. It was a grueling two weeks of sleepless nights and radio silence. When Labor Day weekend finally came, Emily got ready to make the drive. But her doubts had grown. Before leaving, she checked the show's website for Oscar's name. And to her dismay, he was marked absent from the show. He was marked absent from the show. And I remember feeling like the bottom just dropped out. Emily began to sob. If Oscar wasn't in Kentucky, where on earth was he? Betsy had lied to them. Oh my gosh. This is what I feared. A member of my family had been taken. They'd been waiting for Betsy to come back to her apartment. This was one of their closest friends. They knew if they could just talk to her, they could work things out. But when they unlocked the front door to her apartment, they found. She had come home on a day we weren't there. And she moved her stuff out. All her dogs were gone too. Emily and Dave stared at the empty walls, astonished. How could she move out without saying goodbye? That's when it dawned on them. She wasn't planning on coming back with Oscar ever. Completely gutted. This was my darkest fear, that he wouldn't come back. They replayed the past year with Betsy. And now we think, was it a plan all along? When did this plan to take Oscar start? Can we continue thinking the best of her? Or is everything we've done, going to be the best of her? Or is everything we've known of her since Toby's death, has that all been a lie? When you think you know somebody, and then they do something so out of character, it really throws you for a loop. You don't even understand what's happening. You wonder, was anything true? Were they just a way to support her AKC career? Betsy promised to bring Oscar home, that she was just leaving for the weekend, that they'd have a conversation about his show dog career. And instead, she disappeared with him. If you talk to someone and you find out a story was a complete fabrication, then was everything a fabrication? The panic sets in, and I think I went dark pretty fast. They had no idea what Betsy was thinking, and she wasn't communicating. She'd taken Oscar, but she tried to take their other Corso next. She had a key to her home. She knew where everything was. She knew how to get through every gate and into our backyard. So it was a matter of quickly calling a locksmith, having all of our locks changed, padlocking gates between our yards, which we had never done before. All the while, they knew they needed to locate Oscar. We kind of work on tracking down where he might be, and just try to use every resource we can to maybe figure that part out. The next few weeks were an anxious blur. They posted on Twitter, and asked their friends in the dog show world to keep an eye out. No one had seen Oscar. It was an awful time. Neither of us ate well. I think I lost like 12 pounds. We started getting even more concerned about his well-being. Because we didn't know who he was with. We didn't know where he was. We didn't know how he was being cared for. With no updates on his well-being, their minds jumped to dark places. I think silence. Silence has a way of assuming the worst. Betsy had never put any expectations about Oscar's show career in writing. And Emily and Dave never asked her to. Why would they? Betsy had never campaigned a dog before. And she was their friend. But now, they saw things differently. The trust that had felt natural suddenly felt like a mistake. And we also started interviewing lawyers because Betsy had stopped talking with us. She'd never given us a contract. She was unwilling to work things out with us. So we started looking for lawyers because we knew we needed help. Six weeks passed that way. They didn't have any leads. But Dave had a hunch. There was a large dog show happening in Virginia. Since Sean the handler lived nearby in Maryland, they might try to enter Oscar. We weren't sure, first of all, that he would be there. It was just a 24-hour drive in hopes that he would be there. But they were desperate. If there was a chance they could bring Oscar home, they had to try. So Dave hugged Emily, jumped in his car, and set out on a rescue mission. My buddy and I, we drove. We left here midday, and we drove straight through. Dave and his friend drove all night, taking turns at the wheel. When they arrived at the Virginia dog show, the sun was rising. They parked outside and made a game plan. Dave knew he had to be strategic. The handler wouldn't just hand Oscar over. I never wanted to be shady. I had to do things the right way at Lexington, and he just didn't show up. If I go to a show superintendent, and then word starts spreading, then she's going to get word, and she's going to go in a van, she's going to roll. She's going to take off. And then I don't know what the future will hold after that. But I just wanted my dog back, so my best avenue is to get him, and get him in the car, and then go. They started by peering through the windows for any sign of the handler. We scoped the place out. I was trying to see where is she located. Finally, Dave spotted the handler, and pointed her out to the door. He pointed her out to his friend, who agreed to follow her inside. He'd text Dave if he saw Oscar. And we just wait, and wait, and wait. It was probably two hours, waiting for things to settle in. Suddenly, Dave's friend saw the handler make her way back to the kennels. Oscar's in a kennel with a blanket over it. And she finally flips that blanket off of him, and then my buddy sent me a picture. And I'm like, yep, that's him, okay. In the picture, Oscar was curled up in the car, in a crate. Dave couldn't believe it had come to this. But he didn't hesitate. When his friend texted that the coast was clear, Dave rushed in. I walked around with a lead. I opened the crate, and as soon as he realized it was me, he was just so excited and so happy. I was like, come on, buddy, we're going home. And I put my lead right around him, and we walked out the door. But when the handler found Oscar's crate empty, she dialed 911 to report a robbery. ♪♪ ♪♪ You need credit to buy, well, pretty much anything. So how do you get started? Easy, the OnePay Builder Card. It's simple and smart. OnePay is the banking app trusted by millions of people, and the OnePay Builder Card is an easy way to build credit. Just use it to make everyday purchases, build your credit history, and then you can work up to the big milestones, buying a new car or a new house. Those moments start with small, consistent steps with the OnePay Builder Card. Download the OnePay Builder Card now, or visit OnePay.com for banking that gives you more for what matters. NMLS ID 2460509. This episode is sponsored by OnePay. It's doctor-formulated, clinically-backed, side-effect-free, no extreme diets, no needles. Once again, that's V-E-R-A-C-I-T-Y-Health.co for up to 55% off. And make sure you use my promo code IHEART so they know I sent you. Talkiatry is 100% online. online psychiatry practice that provides comprehensive evaluations, and ongoing medication management for conditions like ADHD, anxiety, depression, and more. Unlike therapy-only platforms, talkiatry is psychiatry, so you're meeting with a licensed medical provider who can diagnose mental health conditions and prescribe medication when it's appropriate. In the U.S., there's a break-in every 26 seconds, but when intruders step in, they're not alone. You're not alone. You're not alone. You're not near. SimpliSafe home security steps up. And right now, you can save 50% on your new SimpliSafe system at simplisafe.com slash thegirlfriends. That's half off at simplisafe.com slash thegirlfriends. No safe like SimpliSafe. Emily and Dave had come to a painful realization. Betsy wasn't bringing Oscar home. Running out of options, Dave drove to a dog show in Virginia in hopes that Oscar might be there. He was. And once Dave found him, he wasn't leaving without him. He slipped inside and unlatched Oscar's crate. And I put my lead right around him and we walked out the door. And as soon as he realized it was me, he was just so excited and so happy. And he couldn't get in the car quick enough. My buddy's driving. I'm in the passenger seat. He comes up and lays his head on the headrest. And he just is like, oh, thank you. You're here. You know, my family, my guy's here. Dave messaged Emily. She'd been waiting nervously by her phone. The relief, the profound relief when Dave texted and said, I've got him. Next, they texted Betsy. We did a group text. Then I just said, Oscar's safely back in our care and you're welcome to contact our lawyers. Dave hugged Oscar tight. And when the adrenaline settled, he finally looked closely at Oscar. I was just aghast at the condition he was in. Dirty, this giant hotspot on his cheek that was untreated. His ears were dirty and they're just gunky as anything. And he's thin and he's skinny and all these things. It broke my heart. It breaks my heart that he's in that condition. The handler immediately noticed Oscar was gone and called the police. It caused a commotion at the dog show. Dave was still in the car when his phone rang. When he picked up, an officer demanded he explain himself. I explained to the police officer what was going on. I said, it's a civil matter. I go, he's my dog. I sent him a text message with the AKC paperwork to show that my name's on as registration. And then he was like, okay, well, we don't have anything to do with this. So the police were done. When they finally reached Kansas City, Dave rushed Oscar to the vet. He had six hotspots. He had hookworms, which is an intestinal parasite. He had explosive diarrhea. He had double ear infections. He had lost 15 pounds and he was hypothyroid. Clinically on blood work, hypothyroid. Emily and Dave were devastated. And then the sorrow. That came with knowing what terrible shape he was in, you know, for him to be so sick. It was so heartbreaking. They hugged Oscar, tears welling in their eyes. It was crushing. Not just that Oscar was so sick, but that Betsy had let this happen. They felt betrayed. To think that our dog, a dog that Betsy claimed to love and want the very best for, was allowed to be in such deplorable condition. It's so sad and so unnecessary. I still, to this day, I still cannot accept that. That's not the Betsy we knew and loved. Yeah. If the Betsy that we knew would have seen him with hotspots and weight loss, with dirty ears. Yeah, she would have put him in the car and brought him back to Kansas City. But that's not what happened. Emily and Dave focused their energy on nursing Oscar back to health. They were so relieved to have him home. We treated all the hookworms and ear infections and we rechecked the thyroid and we got him back on his healthy diet. It was wonderful. I have him home. It was so great. They never wanted to be away from Oscar again, but Betsy was actively trying to bring him back on the road. She hired a lawyer of her own. It was still tumultuous. We kept hoping and thinking we could just meet with Betsy and work something out. But through their attorney, Emily and Dave found out that their friendship with Betsy was over when they were served with a restraining order. She filed a restraining order against us. Not only that, Betsy was determined to become Oscar's legal owner. But Emily and Dave weren't willing to accept that. This was their dog. They'd raised him. He was part of their family. And they couldn't just sit by and watch Oscar's health deteriorate. I will never not fight for my dog. If my dog is mistreated like that, I will fight. They didn't have a contract. But they were determined to fight Betsy for ownership. Here's where things get difficult. In the eyes of the court, this is not a custody dispute. It's a property dispute. And there wasn't much legal precedent for a dog ownership case like theirs. But their lawyers told them not to worry. Emily and Dave had a paper trail. Hundreds of documents and photos proving they'd raised Oscar. We had given our lawyers a lot of evidence of ownership. Vet bills, training receipts, care and feeding, microchip information. AKC registration that Betsy had filled out listing us as owners. They filed for ownership, still holding onto hope that they might be able to settle things without going to court. But that hope evaporated in an instant. Really out of the blue, we got the injunction filing. Betsy filed what's called a preliminary injunction. Basically what that means is she had a specific request. She wanted the opportunity to bring Oscar to an important place. She wanted to bring Oscar to an important place. She wanted to bring Oscar to an important show before the ownership trial began. And David and I didn't oppose that. The idea of the temporary injunction would be that she would have Oscar do the show and then he would return to us and we would then establish a court date for an ownership trial, which was fine with us. Even though ownership wouldn't be decided at an injunction hearing, both sides would still need to give an overview of their claim to ownership. Emily and Dave appeared at the court hearing. It was 2020, so everything was on Zoom. Right away, things felt off. It seemed like the judge was rushing parts of the hearing. Dave and I sensed the way court was going and the types of questions the judge was asking Betsy and how he handled my limited testimony time and how he took a phone call during my testimony. It was the strangest thing ever. Other points of the hearing were heated. Oscar's health became a major point of contention. Emily and Dave's veterinarian testified that he was in poor condition. Betsy's attorney argued his hot spots were being managed by the handler and his ailments were all typical for a traveling show dog. They had proof that an AKC judge said Oscar was in beautiful shape. Emily and Dave left court feeling uneasy. Then, a few days later. I was at work and I saw the email from our attorneys pop through and I was like, oh my gosh, what's going on? Emily and Dave were expecting a ruling on whether Betsy could take Oscar to one dog show. I remember reading a few lines into the decision and my entire body felt like hot lava had just been poured over it. The judge ruled that Oscar belonged to Betsy, not for a few weeks or a few months, forever. And the judge said by five o'clock on Monday, November 30th, Oscar was to be transferred into Betsy's care. Emily was stunned. They weren't supposed to be ruling on ownership. There hadn't been a review of evidence or a trial. How could this have happened? Unbeknownst to us, behind closed doors, apparently, our lawyer and Betsy's lawyer and the judge all agreed that there was no more evidence to be heard for ownership of Oscar. Without this documentation, the judge decided Betsy had substantial likelihood of winning the trial on Oscar. On merit, Emily didn't understand how their attorney could have agreed to this. Because they had hundreds of pages of ownership evidence and they kept saying to us, this is a temporary injunction. We don't want to overwhelm the court with ownership evidence. That's not what this case is about. Emily broke down in tears. I can't even describe how absolutely devastated and gutted I was. It felt like such a bad dream. I was at work as well and I checked my emails. And it popped up and your heart just dropped drops and your stomach's in a knot. Here's an excerpt from the judge's ruling which we've had read by a voice actor. Dave and Emily may treat Oscar as a family member but he is still a dog and a champion show dog at that. Betsy has spent years developing the Corso breed and Oscar is one of her best opportunities for success in showing and continued breeding. Dave snatched Oscar during a competition. This is not the action of someone who thinks they are in the right. It does not matter that there is no written agreement. It is therefore by the court ordered that the Cane Corso dog Oscar is owned exclusively and solely by Betsy Shock. It never once cites a Kansas law. It never cites a law. But the ruling was clear. Oscar would have to leave. In the eyes of the state, he was Betsy's property. It was just the culmination of a massive amount of deceit and just untruths that led to that. Emily and Dave had five days before they had to hand Oscar over to Betsy. They tried to save her every last second with him. Every night when he was home, I would kiss him on his big forehead right between his eyes and say, you're my very favorite Cane Corso boy. They decided to throw Oscar a going away party. We wanted him to be surrounded by love and care. And it was a cold, windy Sunday afternoon. And we invited people that knew and loved us and Oscar to a park. And friends that came out brought toys and treats. And one of our friends who's a photographer was there and she took some she took some great family pictures of us and it was a really nice afternoon. That would be the last day they'd ever spend with Oscar. On Monday, Monday night at seven, his handler came to pick him up. Betsy didn't even come. It was terrible. We had to put him in the back of his handler's car in a crate that was too small for him. And of course I was crying and Dave was crying. I just remember hearing Oscar cry all the way up the driveway. It was gut-wrenching. Absolutely gut-wrenching. Oscar left on November 30th. 2020. But Emily and Dave weren't ready to accept that he was gone forever. So they hired a new attorney. We immediately filed an appeal. This was the start of a years-long legal battle, trying to get Oscar home. The case was elevated to the Kansas Court of Appeals in January 2023. We got audio from that hearing. This is a litigation over the ownership and control of a prized show animal and family pet by the name of Oscar. Oscar is a Cane Corso and enjoys. Emily and Dave's attorney presented their case, arguing that they should be considered as Oscar's right-floners, that their evidence for ownership was never properly reviewed. I can't help but close but to think and remember the condition that Oscar is suffering from at this point, and that is that dogs love, dogs grieve, and to recognize the desperate pain that Oscar is in, and for him to have a fair chance for Dave and Emily to lay out their case, and they cannot rest until that happens. And the judges agreed. Emily and Dave's due process had been violated by the district court. They should be considered co-owners of Oscar. At first, it felt like a glimmer of hope. But Betsy appealed. And the court ordered he would stay in her care while the appeals process played out. Oscar didn't come home. And to Emily and Dave, that was all that mattered. You just leave there and you're like, I'm living in a twilight zone. I just want the truth to come out, and I want Oscar back. That's the two things. I want the truth, and I want Oscar, and beyond that, I'm fine. Emily and Dave's account of this story is detailed in district court records, and the lawsuit they filed against Betsy. What started as a very simple question, who owns Oscar, proved to be difficult to answer under the law. Eventually, the case was escalated to the Supreme Court of Kansas in May of 2024. The Supreme Court ruled that they couldn't decide. They agreed that the case wasn't properly evaluated. But, it wasn't in their jurisdiction to rule on ownership disputes. That was the district court's job. They would have to start the process over. For Emily and Dave, it was another heartbreak. They'd been waiting years, and now they'd have to wait more. It's a shame that this whole process, has dragged on this long. There was one more thing Emily and Dave's original lawyer didn't tell them. If they'd filed a stay, they might have delayed handing him over to Betsy, until the appeals process was finalized. All these years, Oscar could have been at home with them. It was just one betrayal on top of the next, on top of the next, on top of the next, and they continue still. This is the limbo they're still living in. It's been six years. They're still waiting, waiting for the next legal step. Meanwhile, Oscar has spent years on the road. He's become the winningest Cane Corso in AKC history. He's won Best in Show 12 times. Emily and Dave have been stuck in the grieving process for years. It's been harder than when they've had dogs pass away. Death is hard, and it's final. If Oscar had passed away, we wouldn't worry about his well-being every day. We wouldn't worry about him being in a kennel for 23 hours a day. We wouldn't worry about him having enough food or not having enough food. He would not be lonely or sad or cold or hot or painful or neglected or bored. Knowing that he's out there, but not knowing how he's being cared for, that's the hard part. This betrayal is layered. Emily and Dave didn't just lose Oscar. They also lost a close friend. This wasn't just some crazy person doing a terrible thing. This was a seven-year friendship that got turned on its head unexpectedly. It was a genuine friendship. We do mourn the loss of Oscar, and we mourn the loss of our friendship with Betsy and Toby. And of course, we mourn the loss of Toby because he passed. Emily and Dave still hope that one day all the hurt and anger will melt away to open the door to a kind conversation with Betsy. We just used to be such friends, and it's so sad that all of that's changed. I would love to be able to sit in a room with Betsy and agree to just go forward in kindness and love. We reached out to Betsy for comment. Her attorney informed us that she was unable to give a statement at this time, given the ongoing litigation over Oscar. The trial for Oscar's ownership is now set to take place in December of 2026. There have been very few weeks that this hasn't taken up time, resources, and finances. We have literally not been on a vacation since this started. Every spare minute and every spare dollar we have has gone into trying to get Oscar home for the last chapter of his life. Oscar is nine and a half now. The average lifespan of Akane Corso is about ten years. Our greatest wish would just be to have Oscar home for his last chapter and to allow healing and restoration for our family unit. I just want him to come home. I just want him to have the joy of going to work and seeing patients like he used to and him greeting him with his big smile and his waggy tail. A couple years ago, he was competing at the Westminster Dog Show in New York. Emily and Dave decided to fly up and watch. We got to be at the show and watch him win. Which was bittersweet. At one point, I had gone to the restroom and I was standing in a hallway behind the arena. Emily turned around and there he was. His handler had him and she was literally six feet away from me with her back turned to me. And I so badly just wanted to call his name and hug and kiss him. But it was before he went into the ring and I didn't want to upset Oscar or ruin his focus. Wonderful to see him and heartbreaking to see him. Since then, Betsy has stopped campaigning Oscar. He's been neutered and can no longer compete. Today, Emily and Dave still live in Kansas City. Emily went back to school to become a veterinarian. She graduates next year. Dave still runs his clinic. In the meantime, their family has grown. Their home is filled with pigs, cats, and dogs. But there will always be a place for Oscar. They're not giving up hope. I would love for our nightly prayers to change from please Lord, protect Oscar until you bring him home, to thank you for bringing him home. A few years ago, Dave and Emily started the Oscar Project, a site where people can find resources about property law and fair contracts for animal owners. They don't want anyone to be in the same position they were in, with a dog they loved and no papers to prove ownership. This is a pain that no one ever needs to feel again because you can set the parameters from the very beginning. They say contract makes for better friends, and boy is that true. A written contract would have made for a much better friendship. We end every weekly episode with the same question. Why do you want to share your story? I binged betrayal, all of it, and could resonate so much with the betrayal trauma. And I had never heard that expression before, but that so perfectly describes what we've lived through. We have lived a life full of betrayal trauma for the last several years on multiple levels. Ultimately, I hope that we save other people from being in this type of situation. I hope that we can use our ignorance, what we didn't know seven years ago, to prevent someone else from going through this heartache and trauma. The past is the past. We can't go back and change any of the last six years, but we can change what happens going forward. He loved that people thought of him as this boring economist. And at night, on weekends, whenever he had the opportunity, he was living this wild life that nobody knew about. When this did start unraveling, he actually used the words, I've been unmasked. If you'd like to share your story on betrayal, please email, That is Please note that we are not a mental health organization. If you are in crisis or currently experiencing domestic violence, we encourage you to seek local help or dial 911. Please contact organizations that offer immediate support. In our show notes, we've included a list of U.S.-based resources. You can follow us on Twitter at or find me at To access our newsletter and additional content and to connect with the Betrayal community, join our sub-stack at We're grateful for your support. One way to show support is by subscribing to our show on Apple Podcasts. And don't forget to rate and review Betrayal. Five-star reviews go a long way. Big thank you to all of our listeners. Betrayal is a production of Glass Podcast. A division of Glass Entertainment Group in partnership with iHeart Podcasts. The show is executive produced by Nancy Glass and Jennifer Faison. Hosted and produced by me, Andrea Gunning. Written and produced by Leah Jablow and Olivia Hewitt. Our story editor is Monique Laborde. Also produced by Ben Fetterman. Production management by Kristen Malkuri. Booking support by Curry Richmond. Our iHeart team is Allie Perry and Jessica Kreincheck. Audio editing by Ben Fetterman. Editing by Tanner Robbins with additional editing and mixing by Matt Delbecchio. Voice acting by Todd Gans. Betrayal's theme composed by Oliver Baines. Music library provided by My Music. And for more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Listen, we're all trying to save for something. It's always nice having something to look forward to. And knowing you're actually making progress towards those bigger goals feels really good. But in reality, it can be hard to actually save money. But that's what's great about the OnePay app. It makes saving money easy. First, you earn 3% cash back. You choose categories like Walmart, gas, or dining, and then get rewarded when you spend in those categories. So here's what you can do. You're rewarded for what you're already buying. And with high-yield savings, your money keeps growing. So download the OnePay app or visit OnePay.com for banking that gives you more for what matters. This is Jenny Garth from iChooseMe, and 90210MG. So before Metabolism Ignite sells out again, head to VeracityHealth.co and use the code VERACITY. Use code iHeart for up to 55% off your order. Using the Outdoor Camera Series 2 and advanced AI alerts, SimpliSafe's U.S.-based live agents identify threats on your property and help deter them. Stopping the crime before it starts. That's why they never lock you in with long-term contracts or cancellation fees. News and World Report for six years running. And America's best customer service in home security by Newsweek. Join them. There are more than 6 million people who trust SimpliSafe to protect their homes and families today. Right now, you can save 50% on your new SimpliSafe system at SimpliSafe.com slash thegirlfriends. Some so-called SUVs feel more like toys. You need a real vehicle that'll handle real life. A real SUV, like the all-new 2027 Kia Seltos. With its best-in-class interior room, it'll make the other. others feel like toys. Check out the new 2027 Kia Seltos X-Line. It's real-world ready. Kia. Movement that inspires. Limited inventory available. Comparison based on publicly available data regarding cargo room and 2026 entry all-wheel drive CUVs as of May 2026. Entry all-wheel drive CUV class as defined by Kia segmentation. Guaranteed human.