Man’s Best Friend Never Had a Better Friend

By JULIE SACKS | Contributing Writer

If you live in Pacific Palisades, chances are you’ve seen George Kopek walking a dog or two.

Always impeccably dressed in his jeans, ironed shirts and Clark Wallaby’s, George was a fixture in the neighborhood for decades. In fact, this year marked his 40th year in business as Greene Valley Petcare.

But the families who knew him best were broken-hearted when they learned of his sudden passing on November 17. A man who never missed a day of work was suddenly gone.

George talked fondly about growing up in the Palisades. After graduating, he worked at Temescal Conference Grounds, but then moved to the Santa Monica school system.

Here, his life changed completely when he met his partner and friend, Suzanne Greene. The year was 1982 and from their friendship, Greene Valley Petcare was born.

They had dozens of happy clients together and soon, as the client list continued to grow, they needed to split the routes; Suzanne took West LA and George covered Santa Monica and the Palisades. Life was good until 2017, when Suzanne passed away from cancer.

Deeply committed to his clients, he continued the Greene Valley business on his own in the exact same way they had done from the start: without email, texts or even a cell phone. George had an answering machine and a Rolodex. And despite many clients urging him to “modernize,” he always seemed to make each day’s schedule work perfectly. Analogue style.

I had seen George on our street for years, and one day I finally approached him about walking our two dogs. He came over the very next day and while Brutus, our Buddha dog, loved George immediately, our recent rescue, Maisy, growled her way through the entire interview. But, by the end of the very first walk, George had earned both her love and trust.

He used to call her “the second-meanest dog he’d ever walked.” But each day after her treat, he would rub her tummy, encouraging her to be a good girl … and take good care of her brother. For those few moments, Maisy had George all to herself and wanted nothing more than to make him proud.

Several locals shared what George meant to them, their families and their respective pets.

“He was absolutely part of our family,” said Sharon Heritage, a client since the ’80s. “For instance, when I moved out of my home during COVID, George arranged the safe rescue and placement of our beloved turtles. He was a thoughtful and knowledgeable animal lover. And I will really miss him.”

“I’ve been crying for a week,” Sheryl Goldman lamented. “George was one of those people who constantly did for others … without asking anything for himself. No matter what the situation, George would figure out a way to make it better. We shared stories, thoughts, beliefs. He felt more like a friend than simply a dog walker. He was a beautiful human and I will miss him terribly.”

Nancy Landseidel was lucky enough to have him care for five different cats.

“I traveled a lot to London, so George would graciously come to my house two and three times a day when I was away,” she shared.

Heather Maynard said that George took “such good care” of their elderly cat, Max, who needed up to six medications each day.

“He cared for Max with such dedication,” Maynard said. “We could not have gone on vacation without George.”

“When George first started, our Westie, Teddy, was ill with cancer,” Nancee Mendenhall remembered. “Soon after we lost him, the Westie Rescue called about a Westie named Grace who needed a home. She had a difficult past, but we knew George would be the right person to help us navigate her transformation to a sweet and friendly lap dog.”

“We started with Suzanne, and between the two of them, they took care of three dogs and seven cats,” Rebecca Torrey shared. “We traveled a lot, and knowing George was there eased any and all worries.”

Lisa Saliman called George when she would travel.

“It always seemed cleaner when I came home,” she mused. “Everything was done with thoughtfulness and respect.”

“George was a calming and daily presence in our home,” Jensen Chemla recalled. “He brought his passion and love of dogs to his work every single day. Weeks later, our dog Cooper is still sitting by the door at the ‘George time of day.’”

So, there you have it. The story of a good and caring person who lived a quiet and simple life. A throwback, if you will, to being neighborly and helpful and kind.

Yes, George took care of animals. But by doing so, he took care of the people who loved those animals the most. For a man who left such a soft carbon footprint, he managed to make an indelible mark on those of us who knew him best.

Thank you, George. For everything.

The family has asked you to consider a donation to Best Friends or any other animal organization of your choice. George would have liked that.