“All she wanted was just someone to be next to.”
When Joshua Kennon started working at Haven Animal Care Shelter in 2020, one dog in particular stood out to him. The sweet senior pittie named Terri was so bubbly and affectionate that Kennon couldn’t help but smile when he saw her.
“On my first day, I walked in with Terri, and she was jumping on me, giving me kisses and being the sweetest,” Kennon told The Dodo. “So from day one, I was attached to her.”
Kennon learned about Terri’s backstory, which only made him fall more in love with her. She’d been found as a pregnant stray wandering around all by herself at a cemetery, which is why she’d been named Terri.
That was in 2015. When Kennon first met Terri, she’d already been at the shelter for five years. Despite being so lovable, no one had wanted to take her home.
Kennon suspects that Terri being a black pittie who needed to be in a one-dog household was leading people to overlook her. She was also a senior dog, and when people arrived at the shelter, they usually went straight to the puppies.
Kennon saw Terri sit in her kennel day after day, watching everyone but her get adopted. In the years she’d been at the shelter, her fur had turned gray — but she never lost hope that she’d one day find a forever home.
After two years of working at the shelter, Kennon got some exciting news. He’d been accepted into the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine, which meant he had to leave his position at the shelter.
The thought of leaving Terri behind broke Kennon’s heart. He’d miss seeing her every day and worried she might end up spending the rest of her life in a kennel.
So he decided to take home the 11-year-old dog, who, thanks to him, would have a proper home for the first time in seven years.
Once Terri was out of the shelter, Kennon got to know a new side of her personality. Terri had always been affectionate, but she became even more so once she could be around people all the time.
“If you ever put her in a group of people, she’ll go to someone and demand pets,” Kennon said. “I feel bad, because this whole time, all she wanted was just someone to be next to.”
Kennon and Terri have been spending every day since he adopted her making up for lost time. They go on walks together, and she naps near him while he’s studying.
“Honestly, she’s been the best vet school dog,” Kennon said.
Kennon hopes that Terri’s story will inspire people to take a second look at the animals who’ve been at shelters the longest.
“Give seniors a chance,” Kennon said.
