Greetings! I’m Bentley from Centerton, Arkansas. In 2012, I was adopted by my loving mom from the Springdale Animal Shelter — a place known, sadly, for its high euthanasia rates.
My story began next to a dumpster, inside a culvert, when I was a mere pup of a few months. Rescued by the shelter, I unfortunately contracted a cold. On a serendipitous day, my future mom visited the shelter, intending to adopt a different puppy. But once our eyes met, and I nestled in her lap, fate was sealed.
Though she had decided against adopting a terrier due to our infamous energy and chewing habits, she thought I was different. Quiet and cuddly, she assumed I was the anomaly among terriers. Little did she know!
After the adoption, the shelter provided medicine for my kennel cough and a voucher for spaying. However, my health rapidly declined. With persistent coughing and choking, I became every pet parent’s nightmare. During this emergency, a veterinarian made an exceptional midnight house call. The diagnosis? Suspected parvo and severe pneumonia, with my lungs drowning in fluid.
That dark night, my mom vigilantly administered the steroids and prayed for dawn. By morning, we were first in line at the clinic. The vet took over, providing intensive care. Miraculously, when I was stable and ready to be discharged, they charged only for the X-rays, attributing their services to my mom’s kind act of adopting me.
Recovery was slow. A month in isolation, gaining strength and growing. As my teeth started shedding, my inherent terrier instincts kicked in. My mom soon discovered her expensive sheets gnawed while she dreamily slept beside me. Her down comforter? An irresistible challenge that left her bedroom looking like a winter wonderland. These incidents earned me the title of “ninja,” though I knew I’d landed in a bit of hot water.
But every day is an adventure with my mom. From swimming in the Chesapeake Bay to boating on Lake Gaston and wandering trails in western NY — we’re inseparable.
I’m eternally grateful for this life. If not for my mother’s unwavering love and the compassionate veterinarian, my tale might have had a different ending.