Dogs are essential for many people. These animals have plenty of love and affection to give, and the joy they bring into their family’s lives is priceless.
The same applies to a group friends who moved from England to Bristol in 2019. When Jack McCrossan and his three pals, Iwan, Chris, and James, moved to their apartment in the city, they were quite disappointed to learn that their landlord doesn’t allow pets.
Engineers, these men thought having a dog in the home would be a nice idea. So when they saw a dog looking at them from their neighbor’s window one day, they decided to make a bold move: write a letter to the homeowners to offer their services as dog walkers/caretakers.
“If you ever need someone to walk him/her, we will gladly do so,” their letter read. “If you ever get bored (we know you never will, but we can dream) we are more than happy to look after him/her. If you would like to bring him/her along to brighten our day, we are more than happy to have you. If you want to walk past our balcony windows so we can see him/her, please do.”
They admitted that they were worried that the letter might be too strong. But they explained that they missed having a pet dog in the house to their neighbors.
“The adult life is a struggle without one,” they wrote. The men signed off as “the boys from number 23.”
The four guys looked forward to a response, but they probably didn’t expect a reply “written” by the German Shepherd-Labrador mix herself!
They soon got a letter addressed to “the boys” stamped with a paw print on the back. The friends knew that the note would contain good news from the beginning.
“What a treat it was to receive your letter,” read the note written on behalf of the dog, Stevie Ticks, by her owner, Sarah Tolman. “I love meeting new people and it would be great if we can be friends. I must warn you that the price of my friendship is 5 x ball throws a day and belly scritches whenever I demand them.”
“We here understand how hard it is to find pet friendly rentals — and life just isn’t full without a dog in it — right?! I’d love to hang whenever you fancy,” the letter continued.
McCrossan and Stevie exchanged messages on Twitter on December 10, 2019 and it quickly became viral. A few days later, the men finally met Stevie, a 2-year-old girl adopted by Tolman, and Chris Bowley from a shelter in Cyprus.
Stevie was just as wonderful as the men anticipated. They said that she was as energetic as described—the pup wouldn’t stop running when they took her for a walk.
Stevie and the guys bonded for an hour over playtime at their home.
Tolman said that it was clear that she had fun. They could hear her screaming through the walls. When they brought her back, she was glued to the window and door for hours.
Tolman and Bowley have established a group chat where the men can offer their services for dog walking and care as needed.
Stevie’s mom was so touched by the effort the group had made to reach out to their neighbor, so she felt compelled to write back to them. They also understood the needs of their neighbors and were able to empathize with them.
“We’ve always believed that the love dogs give should be shared by all. It’s incredibly difficult to have your own dog with renting so it makes sense for us to share the love out,” they told TODAY via email.
Stevie has been a viral sensation since their story went viral. Her Instagram has so far accumulated 68.7K followers. Stevie Ticks is on Instagram.
This sweet story will make you smile from ear to ears. This story is sure to make you smile and will be shared with your family and friends.
