Pedro Pascal agreed to foster friend’s dog for a while—she ‘saved’ his life after his mom’s tragic passing
Trigger warning: This story contains themes of suicide that some readers may find distressing.
When hope feels bleak, when there’s nothing to look forward to, everyone needs something to live for. Actor Pedro Pascal has been a sensation in recent years. With his iconic work in “Materialists,” “The Fantastic Four,” and numerous other projects, he has left a lasting impression on his fans. However, every person has their dull clouds before they find a silver lining and things were no different for Pascal, The Vanity Fair reported. When his career was all over the place and on top of it all, he tragically lost his mother, Verónica, it was a rescue dog whom he was temporarily fostering that “saved his life.”
Before his stardom, Pascal was once a struggling actor in New York. There were several times when he wanted to give up, got depressed and just couldn’t go on. Struggling financially and juggling jobs at a bar and restaurant, he lived in a Brooklyn apartment he could barely afford. “I was having a really hard time when I was 18, 19, 20. I was struggling really badly with insomnia. I just was like an open wound to the reality of life,” he recalled. It wasn’t until he was in his 30s that his career started to rise, giving him the recognition and roles he deserved. The times were tough and when he was 24, another shattering event took place. Pascal’s mother lost her life to suicide.
When he received the call, he took his first flight back to his mother. The family held the services and Pascal had to get back to work feeling “broken.” Six months after his mother’s passing, the rescue dog came into the actor’s life. Pascal agreed to foster her for a while to help a friend but as they listened to a movie through their thin room walls that night, the warmth and comfort of a companion pushed the actor to keep her for good. He named the dog Gretta and she became a crucial part of his life. Through the ups and downs, the dog remained with him and before he knew it, she became the reason he was able to heal from grief. “She saved my life, that dog, because she gave me someone to go home to,” Pascal remarked.
In a post shared on Facebook, it was revealed that the dog spent 12 years with Pascal. In 2014, the actor got the role that would transform his career in “Game of Thrones.” It was around the same time that he lost Gretta to old age. The 12 years were more profound than one could ever know and Gretta became a companion like no other. “I think about how poor I was when I had Gretta,” Pascal mentioned. “I think about when I had double shifts and I couldn’t find anybody to let her out and we were living in this shithole apartment in Red Hook, and I think about the bougie life she would be leading with me now as opposed to then and I grieve, I really do,” he said. However, the pet parent's camera roll and his heart will forever be full of memories and gratitude for the canine that made his life worth living.
If you are having thoughts about taking your own life, or know of anyone who is, please contact The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433)
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