Not Giving Up on Her Companion on the Streets
Annette finds company amongst friends, her old dog and her newly found community at Barbara Bennett Park, which she says reminds her of where she came from. Annette moved to Reno in 1988 from Richmond, California, a town of about 100-thousand people in the East Bay area. She’s been houseless on and off for the past three years.
When Our Town Reno interviewed Annette earlier this year, she was with her boyfriend Doug, who worked at Tesla, but she says she’s no longer with him. She was also celebrating her one year anniversary of being sober, which has continued as she’s 19 months sober now. However, her dog’s health is deteriorating.
“Even though times get rough, don't give up. A lot of people said, ‘She’s just dog.’ No, I could have had a place or job or anything like that. But she's old, she’s got cancer and stuff like that and I'm not going to give up on her.”
“She's very protective over me and I try to be as much protective over her, maybe a little too much,” Annette said of her relationship with her aging dog. “One thing I'm afraid of is; I'm going to lose her.” Annette has had nearly 15-year-old Keika since 2010.
A Supportive Park Community
Annette has been sleeping in a secret spot nearby the downtown courthouse but spends the daytime at Barbara Bennett Park. Annette said community members often hand out food at the park. She said when other people living on the streets gather it makes life less stressful for her.
“Once everybody comes in [to Barbara Bennett Park], we all get in a circle and we all talk and everything. It just feels more comfortable when you're in a group than single,” she said.
Annette also gets food stamps. For Keika, Annette goes to a nearby church that hands out little bags of dog food. Annette mixes sausages in it. Annette also recently got a Coleman propane stove. She takes turns cooking with her friends, but the most important item they prepare, she says, is hot coffee.
Annette travels by foot and was recently told by police she can’t have a shopping cart to carry her items. She emphasizes the importance of having people she can trust to watch her stuff or Keika if she has to go somewhere.
Annette’s message to the world is: “Pay it forward please. You see somebody out there, even just a sandwich, you know, help them out. If you see somebody who needs a pair of shoes, help, donate.”