Jenny Mollen Says Her Poodle Teets Helped Save Her Life During Her Darkest Season
The actress says her beloved pet arrived when she was struggling and the two parented each other
Key Takeaways
- Mollen says her poodle Teets arrived when she was anorexic and struggling as a young actress.
- Mollen says she and Teets parented each other and that he helped her step into adulthood.
- Mollen says Teets was her ride or die and went everywhere with her — even appearing in a movie.
There’s a particular kind of love that exists between a woman and her dog—a bond that often shows up exactly when we need it most. For actress and author Jenny Mollen, that love came wrapped in the form of a regal poodle named Teets, who arrived in her life during one of her hardest seasons and never left her side.
In a heartfelt reflection on her beloved companion, Mollen opened up about how Teets helped her heal, how the two of them grew up together and why she’d have done anything for the four-legged soulmate who taught her what unconditional love really looks like.
Watch Episode 15 right here! ‘What Matters with Jenny Mollen: Connection, Humor & Grit’
A soulmate who arrived at just the right moment
“I had come back from Germany. I was anorexic. I was just like not taking care of myself,” Mollen shared. “I was struggling as an actress. And then I got this animal that took care of me as much as I took care of him.”
For anyone who has ever loved a pet through a difficult season, Mollen’s words will hit close to home. There’s a particular kind of healing that happens when we’re responsible for another living being—a quiet pull toward getting out of bed, eating a meal, taking a walk, simply because someone is counting on us.
“It’s like I needed to eat for him in a weird way,” Mollen explained. “We parented each other.”
That phrase—we parented each other—captures something so many pet lovers understand but rarely have the words to express. The relationship between a woman and her dog isn’t one-sided. It’s mutual. And sometimes, especially during our most vulnerable moments, it’s lifesaving.
Growing up side by side
Teets wasn’t just a dog Mollen brought home. He was a steady presence who shaped her early adult years, walking beside her through every audition, every heartbreak and every small victory.
“He was just there for like really like me stepping into adulthood in so many ways,” she said.
There’s something deeply moving about the idea of growing up alongside a pet. They don’t care about our résumés or our relationship status. They don’t measure us by our successes or failures. They simply love us, consistently and completely, while we figure out who we’re becoming.
For women navigating their 20s and 30s—years often filled with uncertainty about careers, relationships and identity—a pet can be an unwavering anchor. Teets was exactly that for Mollen.
A regal gentleman with a personality all his own
When Mollen describes Teets, her affection is unmistakable. He wasn’t just any poodle. He was, in her words, “such like a regal gentleman.”
“I would have done anything for him,” she said.
That kind of devotion is something pet lovers understand instinctively. Our dogs become extensions of our families, our daily routines, our hearts. They have personalities as distinct as any human in our lives—quirks and habits and opinions that make them unforgettable.
And Teets, apparently, had plenty of opinions.
The time Teets cut off David Spade
In one of the most charming details Mollen shared, Teets once made his presence known to a Hollywood legend.
“He cut off David Spade once when he was like driving my Mercedes. I’m not kidding. There’s like a photo online,” Mollen revealed with delight.
It’s the kind of story that makes you smile—a beloved poodle, behind the wheel of his owner’s car (so to speak), unbothered by celebrity status. Teets wasn’t just along for the ride in Mollen’s life. He was a character in it.
Her sidekick, her ride or die
Throughout their years together, Teets accompanied Mollen everywhere. He even appeared in a movie with her, blurring the line between pet and co-star.
“I took him everywhere. It was just like a different life,” she reflected. “If I was there, Teets was there. He was he was my sidekick. My ride or die.”
Those words—ride or die—are the kind we usually reserve for our closest human friends. But anyone who has loved a dog deeply knows that they earn that title, too. They show up. They stay. They love us through everything.
What Teets taught us all
Mollen’s story is a beautiful reminder of something many of us already feel in our bones: our pets aren’t just animals. They’re family. They’re healers. They’re witnesses to our becoming.
For women in midlife and beyond, this kind of bond often takes on even greater meaning. As children grow up, friendships shift and life seasons change, the steady, loving presence of a pet becomes one of life’s greatest comforts.
Teets may be gone, but his legacy lives on in Mollen’s memories—and in the story of a young woman who found her way back to herself with the help of a regal gentleman of a poodle who loved her unconditionally.
Sometimes, the best soulmates really do come on four paws.
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