“You can’t even begin to understand how they had been feeling up there for so long.”
Terry and his brother had spent over two years of their lives chained to a rooftop in Mexico City, Mexico, exposed to the elements. After being neglected for so long, the brothers barely looked like animals anymore — just piles of dirty, tangled hair. A concerned neighbor called authorities to take action, and a local dog rescue organization called La Casa del Mestizo stepped in to help.
“The dogs had incredibly matted fur,” Zoë, a rescuer from West Coast Paws Dog Rescue, told The Dodo. “You can’t even begin to understand how they had been feeling up there for so long.”
Both Terry, who was 7 at the time of his rescue, and his brother were immediately shaved and bathed as soon as they arrived at La Casa del Mestizo. The little dog went from a gray mop to a white fluffy pup in just about four hours.
After getting cleaned up and inspected for any health issues, Terry and his brother were made available for adoption through West Coast Paws, which places rescue dogs with homes in Washington State and Canada.
“We had Terry listed for adoption for almost seven months before we received any application for him,” Zoë said. “[His] age was really a factor in people not wanting to apply for him.”
But everyone at both La Casa del Mestizo and West Coast Paws remained hopeful, and their hope paid off. Lee and Danny, a couple in British Columbia, Canada, stumbled on Terry’s adoption listing and knew that he was their dog.
“We gravitated toward Terry partly because they were having trouble adopting him out,” Lee told The Dodo. “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.”
Terry, along with three other pups from La Casa del Mestizo, were transported with Ariane and Tami from West Coast Paws on the 10-hour trip from Mexico City to BC, Canada, which included a layover in Seattle.
“Thankfully, everything went really smoothly,” Ariane told The Dodo. “All the flights were on time.”
And while Terry was in the air, his new parents were busy picking up a bunch of fun new dog toys. They then made their way to the airport and met Terry — whom they renamed Teddy — for the first time.
“[I] couldn’t be happier,” Danny said when he first picked up Teddy. “I’m just thrilled with how quickly he’s latched onto us. It’s gonna be fun!”
Since settling in at Lee and Danny’s house, Teddy has become quite the “goofball,” Lee said. He’s social, curious and acts more like a puppy than a 7-year-old dog.
“I think his future is one of a lot of human companionship,” Danny said. “We’re just really so happy to have Teddy share the rest of his life with us as a part of our family.”
