Alex Carson
Jess Williams
Jess Williams loved dogs. She always wanted one of her own, but she had to put her dream on hold for a few years. She was s student at Brown University, and dogs weren’t allowed in the dorms. She studied hard, did well in school and finally, she graduated. Along with her graduation came some major changes in her life.
Moving In Together
The August after Jess graduated, she and her boyfriend, Jared Coutou decided to leave the East Coast and move to Sacramento, California on the other side of the country. They were both tired of the cold East Coast winters, and they wanted a change of scenery. Moving to California also brought Jess closer to her family who lived in Los Angeles. Finally, Jess had a place of her own, and they allowed dogs. This was her chance to finally adopt a dog.
Coming Up With a Compromise
When Jess and Jared moved into their new apartment, Jess wanted to get a dog right away. Jared wanted a dog, but he wanted to wait. He wanted them to get settled into their new home and fall into a routine. They had never lived together before, so he wanted them to get used to that first. They compromised and agreed to get a dog for Jess’ birthday in November. Jess agreed.
Wanting a Dog
Jess couldn’t stop wanting a dog, and she often looked at shelter websites. She told herself that she would just be browsing to see what types of dogs were up for adoption. She was casually browsing online. She just wanted to figure out what type of dog she wanted when she came across a photo of a dog that changed everything.
The Saddest Dog
Jess saw a dog at a shelter, and his name was Benji. He was a mixed breed that went to the shelter as a stray. The dog was at the shelter for ten days, and he was in rough shape. He had a flea allergy, and it made him lose most of his fur. This wasn’t what broke Jess’ heart the most. It was the photo of Benji. The had a sad look on his face. She had never seen a dog look sad like that before. She knew that she had to have him. The only problem was Jared. They had an agreement, and she was worried that he would be mad if she broke it.
Pleading Her Case
Jess showed Jared the picture of Benji. She told him about the dog and that she felt bad for breaking her promise, but this dog needed their help now. At first, he hesitated, but when he saw how much it meant to Jess, Jared finally agreed. He says that if he said no to this poor dog, he would have felt guilty. When Jared was on board, they made arrangements to adopt Benji.
The Long Trip
The shelter where Benji was staying was in Los Angeles. It was about 400 miles from their home. It would be a 6-hour drive, but that didn’t bother the couple. They just wanted to help Benji. When they finally got to the shelter, Jess told the staff member what dog she was looking for. The employee went to get the manager who told Jess that she didn’t want that dog. Jess was shocked. The manager offered to show Jess and Jared other dogs looking for homes, but they refused. They drove 400 miles for Benji and only Benji. The manager told them that Benji was aggressive and snapped at people as they walked by. Jess didn’t care. She didn’t want to see Benji put down and she was determined to take him home. Finally, the manager realized that Jess wouldn’t give up. The shelter manager then told Jess something that broke her heart and made her want Benji more. He was abused. The shelter refuses to let
The Long Way Home
The ride home wasn’t easy. Benji hadn’t been on such a long ride, and he was having trouble. Jess was sure that once they got Benji home that he would be fine. Benji was confused. He was with two humans that he didn’t know and he was on a long road trip. Jess told Jared that any dog would be nervous.
Trying To Adjust
When they got Benji home, things didn’t settle down. He kept his distance from Jess and Jared. It was clear that he didn’t trust humans. They were willing to be patient with him. After a few days passed, he began to warm up to his new family. He was beginning to realize that he was safe and he started to play with his new owners. Soon, he was snuggling up with them on the couch. A few days later, he wanted to go with Jess and Jared to run their errands. Jess knew that he would warm up to them and she was right. She finally had the dog that she always wanted, and Benji loved being a member of their family.
