Growing up, Teri Parkhouse never thought of herself as an animal person.
She did not have a childhood pet, and was apathetic as an adult when she moved in with a roommate who had two dogs.
Against her initial indifference, Parkhouse forged a bond with Diamond, her roommate’s American bulldog. Within a week Diamond was laying outside her bedroom door, a canine companion looking for a friend.
Later in life, Diamond was in need of a new home. Parkhouse was surprised to even be a candidate but, with her husband’s encouragement, she adopted the dog.
“I was in love,” she said. “I was a first-time mother.”
Now Parkhouse has a “two-legged child” as well, but her devotion to furry friends has not diminished.
After coming to the area in 2007 with the U.S. Navy, she wandered into Heritage Humane Society to see if she could be of service.
She never anticipated her commitment to the nonprofit would stretch for seven years and hundreds of volunteer hours.
Now out of the Navy, Parkhouse spends between 10 and 20 hours a week at the shelter, and also serves as president of the Auxiliary, the group’s fundraising branch.
As much as she stands behind the efforts to raise money — and recognizes the services it provides — Parkhouse is most content when she is in the company of the animals. She thinks about the dogs when she is away on vacation and even, she admits, more than her own precious pooches — now two of them — at home.
Anxious about taking time away for Auxiliary meetings, Parkhouse received permission from the Williamsburg Regional Library, the meeting spot, to bring an adoptable pet along.
“For these two hours, that dog is getting an outing,” she said.
She is not satisfied with a volunteer day unless she can bring at least half a dozen dogs out to the yard for some playtime, giving them the opportunity to socialize with humans and other animals. When the idea of finding each animal a home gets overwhelming, Parkhouse focuses on the moment – throwing a ball, watching a dog bound after it and knowing he will rest well that night.
“Our commitment to them on a daily, weekly, regular basis can really keep them stable, if you will,” Parkhouse said.
She points to Maynard, a one-year-old Pit Bull mix who came to the shelter in June. From a shy and afraid animal, the pup has become more secure in his surroundings and trusting of his caretakers.
“This is very rewarding for staff and volunteers to see dogs come into their own,” Parkhouse said.
In addition to enriching the lives of the animals, she said it allows the shelter to provide more information to potential adopters about each dog’s disposition.
The most rewarding part of her efforts is seeing the creatures walk out the shelter doors to their forever homes.
When it comes to finding those homes, Parkhouse wants adopters to focus on the dog who best fits their home and lifestyles, not fixate on a particular breed.
Parkhouse has firsthand experience with physical prejudice applied to dogs. She said she came into her pet passion from a justice standpoint, upset to find people reject Diamond because of her look as a bulldog.
“As her mother, I wasn’t going to let it lie at that,” Parkhouse said, and she began training for Diamond to become a therapy dog. For Parkhouse, Diamond is more than a certified purebred – she is sweet, loyal and a bearer of goodwill, no matter her appearance.
“It’s 2014. I would like to think we are beyond judging a book by its cover. … We really promote here at Heritage that every dog is an individual,” she said.
Parkhouse spreads that message through camps with children, giving them hands-on experience at seeing the distinct nature of many dogs within the same breed.
She took on a bigger platform two years ago, when she decided to attempt the Swim Around Key West – a 12.5-mile aquatic venture – to raise funds for Heritage Humane Society. A lifelong swimmer who had taken a few years off, Parkhouse signed up to be on a three-person relay team, and raised $2,200 for the shelter in the process.
But the relay distance was surprisingly easy to complete – Parkhouse set her sights farther.
This spring she took on the feat solo, justifying her hours in the pool as long it benefited the animals.
Voted by the Auxiliary as an official Heritage Humane Society event, the group organized community events leading up to the big swim.
The goal was $10,000, but Parkhouse and the shelter raised $15,000 – including $2,000 raised the day of the race through a social media campaign.
“Yes, I was the one swimming it, but it just felt like such a group act,” she said.
Parkhouse plans to do the swim again next year – though she might scale back to a relay – but does not plan to dial down her commitment to the shelter anytime soon.
“As long as I’m in Williamsburg, Heritage will be part of my routine, my life,” she said.
She encouraged more of the community to come see the shelter, learn about its staff and volunteers. Parkhouse said they are always in need of support, and anything from an hour of time to a roll of paper towels can make a difference in providing full-time care to its animals.
“There’s not a day off,” she said. “We have a full house of animals 365 days a year.”
To learn more about Heritage Humane Society, visit the shelter’s website.
