Lillie was huddled up in a puddle on a dark street close to a dumpster, sniffling and shivering on a cold, rainy April night in 2016, when animal control found her. She was scooped up and put in the back of the van with the other dogs, and thinking that she was just lost, the crew dropped her off at the South LA Animal Shelter, hoping her owners would find her. The Saint Bernard stayed sickly, frail and unclaimed. In a small shelter where the rescues came in almost every day, and the resources to take care of them all were scarce, she was quickly coming close to being euthanized.

At this time, Lee Asher was already contemplating whether to stay in corporate and keep building his career in finance or give in to his life-long passion that drew him closer and closer to animals every day. Since his childhood, Lee always felt a strong pull towards rescuing and taking care of animals, and at this time, he felt unsure about how to go about it while still being needed in offices and boardrooms. When he could, he would visit animal rescue centers and spend time with the animals, volunteering and sometimes taking home some rescues of his own. It was on one such visit that Lee Asher met Lillie, the dog who would change everything. From the moment he spotted her, he knew that she needed him.

While Lillie was at the rescue, the staff did all they could think of to help the poor dog, but her condition never seemed to improve. Lee visited her almost every day, and he couldn’t help but notice how bad her neurological condition was getting. Eventually, he made the decision to bring her back home and care for her himself, but even then, the shelter wouldn’t let him take her as they still hoped that her owner would come for her. After three weeks, Lee happily left the shelter with Lillie, and the two began what would later come to be a life-changing journey.

Lee Asher with some of the rescue dogs at The Asher House. /Photo by Luke Barton

A Dog Nobody Could Help

On the very first night home with Lillie, Lee was given a fresh perspective of just how badly off the poor dog was when he was jolted awake by violent shaking. Lillie was having a seizure, and Lee was terrified. Thus began a long, frustrating and exhaustive investigation into every possible treatment option: vet visits, medications, tests, scans and treatments. They just couldn’t put a finger on what was ailing the dog, and it broke Lee’s heart over and over again when he had to help Lillie power through one seizure after the other. He loved the little Saint Bernard and had come to form such a strong bond with her. She seemed to be suffering and he wanted to help her badly, but he didn’t know how, and his heart sank a little more every day, knowing that if he didn’t do something, Lillie wouldn’t be around for much longer. The vets were already recommending euthanization, but he wasn’t done fighting for her. He was desperate for a solution.

The Last Resort That Changed Everything

Lee had battled with scoliosis for a while, and even had some back surgeries, which helped and worsened the situation in almost equal measure. He had a hard time dealing with the resulting pain until he got his hands on some CBD. It was for this reason that he had some of it lying around on one of those days when Lillie was fighting for her life. When someone mentioned it to him, he wasn’t sure what to do, but he had already tried everything, and this was his last hope. He had also heard of the amazing results that Charlotte Figi, the young girl whose story inspired the CBD movement, had seen and was hopeful. He helped Lillie up, gently gave her a dose, and prayed that the little lady would get even just a little relief.

Lillie’s seizures started easing within the first few days of taking the CBD, and within a couple of months, they became increasingly rare. Lee was thrilled, and now, he got to see the real Lillie. She was energetic, outgoing, and completely changed from the sad, sickly, and quiet dog that Lee had brought home into a social, spirited companion. This experience led to the conception of Asher House Wellness, a line of CBD products for dogs and their owners, built on the same solution that had helped change Lillie’s life. At a time when CBD was still a subject of deep controversy in veterinary circles, Lee saw firsthand what it could do for a dog that was suffering.

Lee Asher running with some of the rescue dogs at The Asher House. /Photo by Luke Barton

On the Road, and Then Home

Lillie stayed by Lee’s side through the next year when he finally quit his career and hit the road with nothing but his RV and his pack of rescues. They toured the states with nothing but hope and goodwill on a mission to change the conversation on rescuing animals.

For the next three years, Lillie accompanied Lee through the shelter visits, adoption events and was part of the journey that saw the troupe gather millions of social media followers who saw and believed in what they were doing. In 2020, when COVID hit, and Lee couldn’t keep touring, he put everything he had into the purchase of the Asher House rescue sanctuary in Estacada, Oregon, and Lillie was among the first pups to experience this culmination of Lee’s vision for shelter animals. Back then, it wasn’t much, but Lee and his community managed to lay the foundation for what would later become a huge 240-acre home for more than 150 different animals rescued from the streets, abuse, and high-risk kill shelters. Lee Asher’s work rescuing dogs in Oregon was also brought to millions of viewers on Animal Planet. 

Lillie’s Legacy

On a sad, surreal Saturday in December 2023, Lillie passed away peacefully. Lee was devastated. She had been there since day one, had seen him through the difficult decision to leave his career behind, had watched him slowly build his dream and had come home with him to the new rescue center. She had been more than a companion; she was a symbol of persistence and proof that he could do it. He could save the animals. 

That same day, as Lee struggled to come to terms with losing his best friend, he got mail about another dog that needed his help urgently. When Lee showed up to meet him, he was beyond shocked. It was a Saint Bernard, almost the same size as Lillie, and equally affectionate and energetic. He thought, ‘this can’t be a coincidence’. The pup came home with him and was named Ranger. He was not a replacement for Lillie – no dog would ever replace her as she was the true spirit of the Asher House Rescue and Wellness- but he would enjoy a safe and comfortable life at the home that Lillie left behind as a tribute to her.

Two years later, Asher House Wellness is going back to its roots to honor the little lady who was the start of it all – Lillie. It’s a notion that was born from Lee and Lillie’s first-hand experience with CBD. Today, the same hemp-derived CBD that helped support Lillie through six more years of life is given daily to every one of the 150+ animals at The Asher House, and to thousands of pets across the country whose owners know exactly how Lee felt in that desperate moment. After all the money, tears, prayers, and sweat that went to fighting for her, it felt like justice to see Lillie finally live fully, free from pain and healthy.

The rebrand to Lillie and Lee, now at lillieandlee.com,  will reflect on the care and love that went into saving her when nothing else seemed to work, and pass the message that every pet and their human companions deserve a life free of suffering and discomfort. For every pet parent who has sat in a vet’s office and been told there is nothing more to be done, Lillie and Lee exists to say: keep looking!

Valentine Mutembei is a Pet Wellness and Animal Rescue Writer.

Lee Asher is an animal wellness advocate and the founder of The Asher House, an animal sanctuary and nonprofit that rescues and rehabilitates abused and abandoned animals. He also founded Lillieandlee.com, a for-profit brand offering premium products for pets and people.