After Reuniting At A Shelter, A Homeless Teen And His Dog Find A Home Together
Kris Robinson was working in the Senatobia-Tate County Animal Shelter's main office when she observed someone walking across the yard. A young man was crossing the grass, closely followed by a dog.
“He told the dog to stay outside, and she just sat down,” Robinson, acting director of the shelter, says. “He came in and said, ‘I’m wondering if you could take my dog.’”
Robinson noted that the shelter was full, but she could see that the teen needed assistance — and some luck.
“His head kinda dropped, and he said, ‘I don’t have a place to live. I live under a bridge right now, and I just can’t afford to take care of her… When I leave to go and try to find work, I hope that she stays, and so far she’s been there when I come back, but I’m just worried about her.”
Robinson could see how attached the dog, named Jada, was to the teen, so she wrote down his details and had him fill out a relinquishment form. “She really clung to him; he was kind of stepping around, and she was clinging to his leg,” Robinson said. “She’d get real close to him and sit down — she was scared.”
This is Jada
Robinson noticed the adolescent wiping his face as he walked away from the shelter with a bag of dog food. Robinson brought Jada into the office to relax, but she was clearly perplexed as to why her father wasn't present.
“She climbed up on one of the chairs and looked out the window,” Robinson said. “I went in the back to do some cleaning, and when I checked on her, I saw her just lying there with her food.”
Her owner took her to the shelter
Jada felt a little more at ease around Robinson the next day, but Robinson realized that no one could ever replace Jada's father. She decided to share the dog's story on Facebook in the hopes of gaining some assistance from the community.
However, she had not anticipated the amount of attention her post would receive.
“I wanted to highlight what this kid did and his character,” Robinson said. “He didn’t ask for anything for himself — he just wanted to make sure that Jada was OK.”
He was homeless and couldn't take care of her
Jada was sad, and she even refused food
Soon, requests to foster the puppy came in from all across the country, but Robinson knew they could do better. Robinson contacted a nearby family who offered to house the young man and his dog, but the young man didn't understand at first.
“I had made contact with him and said, ‘Look, these people want to help you,’” Robinson said. “He said, ‘What do you mean? Do they want to adopt her? Can I come see her first?’ And I said, ‘No, buddy, they want to help you.’”
But things started picking up
When the teen and the family returned to the shelter to pick up Jada, their reunion was ecstatic.
“She ran up to him and jumped up on him,” Robinson said. “He was just loving on her and had a big ol’ smile on his face.”
And they found a home - together
Jada and her dad have finally found a place to call their own – together. Jada is receiving the medical attention she requires, and the young man is able to concentrate on his studies.
“He’s getting his high school stuff in order, and then he’s going to take some classes at a local city college and go to the dentist — things he’s never done,” Robinson said.
She is overjoyed that there is now one less dog in the shelter and one less child on the street.
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