Chiqui & Catherine

Today, we want you to hear the adoption story of our very own Xerotte, now called Chiquitito. He traveled all the way to New York to live with Catherine and her family. 

Catherine first came to know Territorio when she had the opportunity to volunteer as part of the Loop Abroad Program. “I didn’t see my little doggie until the second day I was there, and he just went up to our group, and I was like, ‘Oh my God! He’s just a little baby’ because he looks so small even though he’s a year and a half.”

‍

He just wanted to be in everyone's lap or arms all the time, so I carried him a lot and hung out with him for most of my time there. I tried to hold him as much as I could because right after I met him, I was just like, “I need to adopt this dog. I just can’t go home without him!”.

“He really sealed the deal when, on my last day, I got on the bus, and he was sat in my seat that I had been sitting in all weekend. When someone finally took him off the bus because I just couldn’t manage to, he followed the bus as we left, barking up on my window,” Catherine told us. To her, it was just heartbreaking to leave him, but luckily, it wouldn’t be for long. 

‍

“And so I told Lya that I wanted to adopt him, and everyone was just amazing through the whole process. It was actually very easy!”

‍

Is completely free to adopt a territorian, something Catherine really appreciated as she was just graduating college. She only had to pay for the airplane ticket for him to travel with her in the cabin. 

‍

Catherine and Chiqui finally reunited at the airport when Lya dropped him off. Since then, they’ve been together almost every day, “he’s stuck to me like glue!”

At the shelter, Chiqui was known for being spoiled and needy, usually snipping at people’s ankles for attention. He still does it with his human mama, but only when he knows she has to leave him at the house for the day. This doesn’t happen often because, when he can, he will travel with Catherine, who even got him a purse so he can stay by her side everywhere she goes. He’s got very spoiled very fast; he even gets his nails painted sparkly blue (his family is sure it is his favorite color!). 

Now, Chiqui belongs on a little pack of his own, as he lives with three other doggies who love him dearly: a Jack Russell named Bernie (with whom he loves to wrestle and play rough, as they’re pretty equal in size and personality) and two Collies who accepted them right away in their tug of war games.
‍

‍
“Adopting was just such a great experience, and it was made really easy for me. There’s nothing I’d like more than those dogs in Territorio to get a home like my Chiqui has a home now. He’s just such a go-lucky little guy, and I’m sure hundreds of dogs like him who deserve a loving family.”