ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Eric Olmstead is happy to be on his feet, heading to his room he calls home. He’s been at an Albuquerque Days Inn and Suites since April 1.  

The combat veteran needed an affordable option, knowing his monthly check only carries him so far. 

“It’s a scary situation,” said Olmstead. 

Made scarier by his stage four kidney failure, and his dog “Gigi” who needed his help. He was on the brink of homelessness, and too sick to care for Gigi. 

“I was afraid I was gonna end up in the park and I did not want her going with me there. Just too much for the little girl,” Olmstead said. 

His mission became finding her a home. That’s when the managers of the Days Inn started paying attention. 

“I saw Eric, but I saw more so him trying to hand her to just anybody, and that made me sad. So I was like, ‘OK, we gotta do something,’” said Erica, an assistant manager at Days Inn and Suites. 

Erica paid for one night of Eric’s rent. General manager Dani paid for the next. Then, they went to Nextdoor, trying to find a home for Gigi, so Olmstead could get to treatment at the local veterans affairs hospital. 

“It was just really pulling at our heartstrings, and we wanted to help him and accommodate him to the best that we could,” said Dani.

That’s where Margaret Smith comes in. She saw the post and couldn’t help but get involved. 

“If you put vet and dog in the same sentence for me, I’m all in. So I just came down to see what the story was,” said Margaret Smith, a Pay It 4ward nominator. 

She learned their efforts were successful. Gigi went to a good home with another veteran, and other neighbors stepped up to take Olmstead to dialysis appointments.

But it all started with their generosity. 

“There is a lot of just depressing news. And this just was really– it really lifted my spirit, and it did with everybody on Nextdoor too,” said Smith. “I just think they’re remarkable young women. And because they paid for his room for at least a week. So I’d like to give it back to them.”

So it was time to Pay It 4ward.

Watch the video above for more.