Regrettably, some animals suffer from neglect at the hands of their owners. Such was the case for Terry and his brother, who spent over two years chained on a rooftop, exposed to the harsh elements, causing both their spirits and appearances to deteriorate significantly. Their coats became long, filthy, and tangled to the point where they were hardly recognizable. However, a turning point came when a concerned neighbor contacted the authorities in Mexico City, leading to their rescue by La Casa del Mestizo. Soon after, a team from West Coast Paws Dog Rescue stepped in to bring the dogs to The States.
“The dogs had incredibly matted fur. You can’t even begin to understand how they had been feeling up there for so long,” Zoë from West Coast Paws Dog Rescue explained to The Dodo. The brothers were quickly taken to the West Coast shelter, where they received much-needed grooming. After just a few hours, they transformed, looking handsome and healthy, and were then examined by a vet. Following a positive check-up, they were listed for adoption.
Terry’s brother found a home very quickly, but 7-year-old Terry was overlooked for quite some time. “We had Terry listed for adoption for almost seven months before we received any application for him. [His] age was really a factor in people not wanting to apply for him,” Zoë noted. Despite this, the shelter staff and the dogs remained hopeful for a suitable adopter.
That hope materialized when Lee and Danny, browsing the shelter’s website, spotted Terry’s listing and were immediately smitten. They hurried to the shelter with the intention to adopt him. “We gravitated toward Terry partly because they were having trouble adopting him out. There was just something about him that sort of touched my heart. The little rags on the rooftop, then seeing him in the shelter all fluffy and happy — I figured I could give him a good life,” Lee shared with The Dodo.
Terry, now renamed Teddy, embarked on his journey to his new home, flying on two planes with his caretakers, Ariane and Tami, his tail wagging the entire time. “Thankfully, everything went really smoothly. All the flights were on time,” Ariane reported to The Dodo.
Upon arrival, he was welcomed by his new family and an array of exciting dog toys. Now settled in his new home, Teddy is thriving and showing youthful energy, far from the demeanor of a seven-year-old dog.
“I think his future is one of a lot of human companionship. We’re just really so happy to have Teddy share the rest of his life with us as a part of our family,” Danny happily concluded. Teddy’s days are now filled with love and fun, a stark contrast to his previous life.
