Eloise ‘Lulu’ Peck, 8, Honored by ASPCA After Camp Mystic Texas Flood Tragedy
Eloise “Lulu” Peck, 8, Honored by ASPCA After Camp Mystic Texas Flood Tragedy
The life of Eloise “Lulu” Peck was far too short, but the love she poured into the world continues to reach people long after her passing.
Eloise was only 8 years old when she died during the catastrophic flooding that struck Texas Hill Country and Camp Mystic. She was among the young campers whose lives were lost when devastating floodwaters swept through the area.
Now, a year after the tragedy, Eloise is being honored for something that defined her young life: her extraordinary compassion for animals. On October 8, Eloise is set to be posthumously recognized as the ASPCA Kid of the Year during the organization’s 2026 Humane Awards at The Plaza Hotel in New York City.
For Eloise's family, however, the award represents something much greater than recognition. It is another opportunity to keep Lulu's love alive.
A Promise Made in the Middle of Grief
After learning that her daughter had died, Eloise's mother, Missy Rogers Peck, shared an emotional moment with her sister. Through their tears, Missy's sister told her they were going to live for Eloise. Missy answered with words that would eventually become a mission: “We’re going to live for Lulu.”
There are moments in life when grief is so overwhelming that simply imagining tomorrow can feel impossible. For a parent grieving a child, there may be no words capable of adequately describing that pain.
Scripture does not tell us that believers will be spared from heartbreak. Instead, it promises that God meets us within it. Psalm 34:18 reminds us:
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
For families walking through unimaginable loss, those words can become something to hold onto when answers are nowhere to be found. The Peck family decided that Eloise's story would not end with the flood.
They established Living for Lulu, a foundation dedicated to helping animals and children in need. It is a mission inspired by the way their daughter lived.
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A Little Girl Who Loved With Her Whole Heart
Eloise entered the world in September 2016. Her parents, Missy and Tim Peck, named her after the main character in Kay Thompson's beloved children's book Eloise at the Plaza.
Two years later, Eloise became a big sister when Holden was born. The two siblings developed a remarkably close relationship.
Eloise adored her little brother, and today Holden continues to find comfort in remembering his sister. The family talks about Lulu often rather than allowing her name or memory to disappear from their home.
- They remember her jokes.
- They remember her dances.
- They remember the ways she could make everyone laugh.
They even remember her playful football rivalry with her father. Tim is a Philadelphia Eagles fan, so Eloise sometimes teased him by declaring that she was rooting for the Dallas Cowboys.
Then there were the family's “midnight snacks.”
They weren't actually at midnight. Around 9 p.m., Eloise and Holden would wander into the kitchen looking for something to eat. Before long, Mom and Dad would join them. Those ordinary moments have become extraordinary memories. It is a reminder to all of us that some of life's greatest blessings don't announce themselves when they arrive.
- Sometimes they look like children laughing in a kitchen.
- Sometimes they are silly dances.
- Sometimes they are conversations before bedtime.
We often don't recognize just how precious ordinary moments are until we would give anything to experience one of them again.
Lulu Had a Heart for God's Creatures
Perhaps nothing captured Eloise's compassionate personality better than her love for animals. She didn't just love puppies or kittens. She loved practically everything even bugs.
Animals on the family's ranch captured her attention, including deer and horses. If there was an animal that needed love, Lulu seemed ready to provide it.
After visiting a neighbor who fostered kittens, Eloise would sometimes return home hoping to convince her parents that another kitten belonged with their family, despite her father's allergy.
One of the sweetest examples of her personality could be found at her lemonade stand. Her sign reportedly read: “Lemonade is $5. Dogs Drink Free.”
It's difficult not to smile imagining it.
For Christians, compassion toward God's creation can remind us of the responsibility humanity was given from the beginning to care for what God has made. Proverbs 12:10 says:
“The righteous care for the needs of their animals.”
Eloise may not have been thinking about theology while filling a water bowl for someone's dog. She was simply doing what came naturally to her: caring.
And sometimes the simplest acts of kindness reveal something profound about the heart.
Lulu and Ollie
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| Image: Little Icons / Keeli Faith; Courtesy of Missy Rogers Peck |
Ollie was the family's Boston terrier, brought home after Eloise spent two years asking for a puppy. The two became inseparable.
Ollie slept in Eloise's room, and she helped care for him. Her mother has described just how deeply her daughter loved that little dog.
Then tragedy struck the family before the Camp Mystic flood. Ollie died in an accident at the ranch.
His death led Missy and Tim to have difficult conversations with their children about death and heaven. One conversation between Eloise and her mother would later take on a significance no one could possibly have imagined at the time. One night, Eloise told her mother: “Mommy, I’m not afraid of death.”
Hearing those words from an 8-year-old understandably frightened Missy. But Eloise explained why.
“I know Ollie’s in heaven, and I’m not afraid.”
No mother could have known what those words would mean later. After losing Eloise, Missy has said the conversation now brings her tremendous peace.
The family finds comfort imagining Eloise reunited with the animals she loved. They even affectionately refer to her as the “CEO of dogs in heaven.”
Scripture gives Christians a powerful promise about eternity: death does not have the final word for those who belong to Christ. Jesus said in John 11:25:
“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.”
When grief leaves us with questions we cannot answer, Christians can place their hope in the One who has conquered the grave.
Turning Heartbreak Into a Legacy of Love
The catastrophic flooding brought tremendous loss to Texas Hill Country. More than 100 people died, and the deaths associated with Camp Mystic became one of the most heartbreaking parts of the disaster.
- There is no way to make a tragedy like that seem fair.
- There is no sentence that can remove a parent's grief.
- Faith does not require pretending that suffering doesn't hurt.
Jesus Himself wept in the presence of death before raising Lazarus. Those two simple words in John 11:35 — “Jesus wept” — reveal something deeply comforting about our Savior.
God is not indifferent to human sorrow.
And while the Peck family cannot change what happened, they are choosing to allow Lulu's compassion to continue producing something beautiful. Through Living for Lulu, her family is helping animals and children in need.
Every animal helped carries a little piece of Lulu's legacy. Every child touched by the foundation extends the compassion she demonstrated during her eight years of life. Their grief has become connected to a mission. Their daughter's love continues moving outward.
An Award Lulu Never Expected
The ASPCA's decision to name Eloise its 2026 Kid of the Year is especially meaningful because her kindness wasn't performed for recognition.
There were no expectations attached. She simply loved.
Her mother believes Lulu would have been excited about receiving the honor, while simultaneously being embarrassed by all the attention.
That may be one of the most beautiful things about this story.
- A little girl wasn't trying to build a legacy.
- She was simply living one.
- She loved her brother.
- She loved her parents.
- She loved animals.
- She cared about others.
And now those seemingly small acts of compassion have become the very things for which she is remembered.
Living for Lulu
On October 8, Eloise's family is expected to accept the ASPCA Kid of the Year honor on her behalf. There will undoubtedly be pride. There will also be tears.
But behind the award is a much bigger story about what happens when love survives loss.
For Christians, stories like Lulu's can remind us to consider how we are using the days God has given us.
- We aren't promised tomorrow.
- But we have today.
- Today we can love someone.
- Today we can forgive someone.
- Today we can help a person who is struggling.
- Today we can care for one of God's creatures.
- Today we can tell our children how much we love them.
Eloise “Lulu” Peck was only eight years old, yet her family says she understood something many people spend an entire lifetime learning: Love generously while you have the opportunity.
As the Peck family continues “Living for Lulu,” may we also remember every child, counselor, parent and family forever changed by the Camp Mystic tragedy.
And especially when words seem inadequate, we can pray.
Heavenly Father,
Please draw near to the Peck family and every family carrying the pain of losing someone they love. Give them strength on the days when grief feels unbearable and comfort them in the moments when memories bring tears. May Eloise's life continue inspiring compassion, generosity and love. Help all of us treasure the people You have placed in our lives and never take an ordinary day together for granted. In Jesus' name, Amen.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” — Psalm 34:18
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