When the four young engineers moved into apartment 23, their tenancy agreement stipulated that they couldn’t keep any pets in their unit. All four of them grew up accompanied by pets, so their first few months in the flat felt quite lonely. Until one day, they saw a curious charming pooch looking at them from afar. The sight was enough to reduce the guys to besotted mush.
The sight of the friendly face also prompted them to write a letter to its owners, asking for permission to let them become friends with the pooch next door. Their letter is as endearing and pure as it could possibly get. And as the saying goes, you get what you’re brave enough to ask for.
Shortly after sending the letter, the guys received an equally adorable reply from the pooch they wanted to befriend. In the response, they learned that their furry friend goes by the name Stevie Ticks, and that yes, she would love to meet and play with them!
Been saying we’d love a dog about the house but our landlord doesn’t allow pets, so my housemate posted a letter to our neighbours asking if we could walk their dog every once and a while and the response was better than we could have ever hoped for pic.twitter.com/dcMOfPk5UH
Stevie Ticks’ friendship with her neighbors started with a letter
Apartment 23’s boys didn’t really expect their plea to be answered. But they did, and it came in a specially stamped envelope. “We were ecstatic at the response and couldn’t wait to walk her,” Jack said. He’s one of the young engineers who wrote the letter and is the one who shared the charming tale online. “Once we saw the paw print on the envelope, we knew it was good news!”
Since the fateful exchange between the neighbors, Stevie Ticks has met up with her new friends twice now. For their first meeting, the parties had a brief introduction before setting off to the local park to play together. According to Stevie’s adoptive father, the boys and Stevie got on well and they’ll have more adventures in the future for sure.
“She is very energetic, puppy-like, and friendly! We got to take her for a walk and she wouldn’t stop running. We’ve all had a mixture of pets from cats and dogs and dogs to hamsters, fish, and guinea pigs.” Jack mused.
The boys were right in recognizing that Stevie had a special quality about her. According to her parents, Stevie Ticks “is a 2.5-year-old shepreador (Lab + German Shepherd).” She was originally from Cyprus, but she got hit by a car had to be flown to a shelter in the UK where she was swiftly rescued” by Chris and Sarah, her doting fur-parents.
“Stevie is a very inquisitive pooch. She loves hanging her head out out of the window and checking out all the people walking past: that’s how she drew attention to the boys!” her owner mused. “She’s pretty uncoordinated and is likely to never grow into her paws so there are generally thwaps galore when playing, and she can’t catch anything at all!”
Stevie Ticks’ adoptive parents decided to call her the quirky moniker because she apparently had ticks when they first got her from the shelter. And we must say that their witty decision to do so certainly deserves some sort of award for its adorable quirkiness!
The new-found friendship helps everyone involved
Stevie’s parents work shifts for the emergency services. This means that Stevie is often left at home by herself. And if you’re familiar with the situation, you’d know that this situation often leaves pets lonely. That’s why it’s fortunate that the boys from apartment 23 and Stevie became friends because now, the boys have friend to spend time with during their down times and she has friends who’ll keep her company when her parents are away.
“The part-time dog-sitting works well since we’re all at work anyway. [It’s] a win-win situation.”
Update: The boys from 23 just met Stevie, looks like the start of a beautiful friendship (Give Stevie a follow on Instagram: stevieticks) #stevietickspic.twitter.com/HkhDzzQcSG
Their charming story brings to light the perplexing “no pets allowed” policy animal lovers face when they’re renting
More importantly, the letter-instigated friendship brings into focus the “no pets allowed” policy that’s often enforced in apartment complexes. There are always two sides (at least) to every story and there are some valid reasons why landlords, even ones who love animals, have strict rules regarding pets.
Landlords often raise two issues when it comes to having animals in their units: cleanliness and order. Pet ownership comes with a lot of responsibilities. Besides feeding and bathing them, owners must also clean up after their pets. However a lot of owners fall short on this. Moreover a lack of training can also lead to pets causing noise disturbance and property damage.
“We appreciate how difficult it can be, owning a dog whilst renting and feeling that a positive, friendly, and approachable local community is vital. So if we can share the love a dog gives all the time, we should try to follow in her footsteps. We’ve been amazed at the positive response we’ve received from around the world. It’s inspired other people to make contact with their neighbors and share their dogs.”
If you want to see more of Stevie, you can follow her on her very own Instagram page. Meanwhile, Jack McCrossan’s thread has certainly attracted quite the audience as well! We all love stories about dogs, and this endearing interaction’s certainly one worth treasuring.
