Local animal shelters are more than willing to find forever homes for abandoned pets. However, it would be more difficult to find shelter for a homeless person. A teenager who became homeless reluctantly had to give up his dog since he did not have a permanent place to live in.
Fortunately, a local shelter in Mississippi took the dog in. The Interim Shelter Director, Kris Robinson, from the Senatobia-Tate County Animal Shelter, was in her office when the teenager and his dog came in. The 17-year-old boy had tears in his eyes while telling Kris that he was homeless and had to leave his dog Jada, a 4 or 5-month-old shepherd-Rottweiler mix, at the shelter.
When Kris informed the teenager that the shelter was full, he admitted to her that he could no longer care for Jada since he became homeless. “And he said, ‘Well, I can’t take care of her anymore. I live under a bridge,’ and it broke my heart,” Kris recalled, wiping away fresh tears at the memory. “For this young man to just be 17 and down on his luck, and no matter what problems he’s facing, he still took the time to walk her over and make sure somebody was going to take care of her, I think that says a lot about his character.”
Kris posted a photo of Jada on Facebook. The poor dog was lying on the lobby floor with a large plastic bag full of food for Jada.
“This is where she lay after her owner surrendered her today with her plastic bag of dog food and a blanket. She is devastated. I can’t be mad at her owner, though. He is 17 and says he lives under a bridge in Tate County. He WALKED her all the way to the shelter and asked us to please take her because he couldn’t afford to keep her. She’s about 4 mos. old, and she kept herself pinned to his legs while he was here. We are full, but how could we not take her in.” ~ Kris Robinson
While Kris took in Jada, thousands of people inquired about adopting her, and some wondered how they could be of any help to the homeless teenager.
“We’re a shelter, so we’re concerned about the dog,” Kris said. “But ultimately, we were concerned about him and him getting off the street and getting some help.”
Kris informed the local authorities of what the young man had written on the surrender form, and they were able to track him down.
Luckily, the teenage boy and Jada were reunited the next day, and the authorities found a place for both of them to stay. “He’s able to go someone’s house and be with them for a while until he gets his life back on track,” said Kris.
Additionally, churches in Senatobia offer assistance to homeless people since there are no designated shelters in the city. The First United Methodist Church is accepting donations to assist the family who welcomed the teenage boy and his dog.
Everyone is glad it is a happy ending for the young man and Jada. It is difficult to ask for help nowadays since people tend to shun away strangers asking for assistance. Ms. Kris Robinson has been the conduit to better days for both Jada and the young man. Thank you!