Teva the adventurer and quiet companion Supplied

BETHEL — Naomi has a unique friendship with her three-year-old dog that is hard to find even among people. The type of friendship where two people can be in the same room and sit in silence for hours and never feel any sort of awkwardness.

“She’s very much like me. Like the fact that she always wants to be in the same room as me, but she doesn’t necessarily need attention or need to be pet all the time, she doesn’t want to cuddle or play. She just wants to know where I am,” says Naomi. “Even when we go off outside, she’ll kinda go off and do her own thing, and sniff around but if she gets too far from me you can kinda see her look around and panic and go back and be in same radius as you. I feel like we’re both very comforting towards each other knowing that the other one is there.”

Teva, named after the brand of sandals, is a timid, sweet pup who who lies under Naomi’s desk while she’s teaching at Gould Academy. She’s developed close relationships with some of the students.

“Once I was giving a final and one of the kids came up to ask me a question, and he looked at me then looked at Teva laying on the ground, and said, ‘Can I like sit with Teva for a minute?’ So he put his test on my desk and just like laid on the ground next to her and just like petted her for a few minutes and then got up and grabbed his test and said,’ I’m ready to take my test again,’” Naomi recalls.

Naomi’s favorite memory with Teva was when they were going for a hike. While on the hike, Teva found a cave she liked and began exploring inside of it. Digging around in the leaves in a circle, she lay down, making herself comfortable. The funny thing was, Teva had done a similar thing near Gould Academy in the soccer field. There was a fallen tree, and Teva had buried herself underneath the roots before. It’s almost as though Teva is making little homes for herself everywhere in Maine.

A true adventurer, one whose physical home lies with her owner, not a concrete tangible place she can conquer up anywhere, Teva remains loyal to Naomi, even if that means the two of them are simply on the couch, each doing their own thing, but enjoying the other’s company.