In a perfect world, every single dog and cat would have a safe and loving place to call home. A place where they’re cared for – but sadly, this simply just isn’t the case. In fact, pet homelessness is a staggering problem across the world.
According to the Humane Society of the United States, there are approximately 70 million stray animals. Of those, only around 6-8 million will find themselves in one of the 3,500 shelters across the country.
Another heartbreaking fact is that even when these dogs and cats end up in homes – it does guarantee their safety. Some households are full of abuse, neglect, and heartlessness. It’s devastating to know this is happening, however, if we can identify a problem – it can help lead to solutions.
Some of these careless owners end up abandoning their pets when they can’t take care of them or if they simply “don’t want them anymore”. Whatever the reasoning, there is never a sufficient excuse to abandon a helpless animal.
One little pit bull puppy knows what it’s like to be abandoned by supposed ‘family’.
The puppy’s owner placed the precious puppy inside a cardboard box, took him to a parking lot, and left. What this man didn’t know was that there was a security camera filming his every single move.
Shannon, the owner of the security camera, watched the man set the box down – but had no idea there was a puppy inside. Curious about the contents, she opened it to find the small pit bull in absolutely dire condition.
Shannon was shocked to see the puppy – nearly skin and bones with a severe case of mange.
Being a dog mom to three rescue dogs herself, Shannon is no stranger to helping animals in need. The puppy was in a terrible state, but she knew if she got him help as soon as possible, there was still some hope.
“He was in such a terrible condition,” she told The Dodo. “But he was still fighting and he was still hanging on.”
Shannon took the pup to the vet for medical care and knew then that she would be taking him into her home as a foster afterward. He was going to have a long road to recovery, but Shannon wanted to be there for it.
She decided to name the puppy Jiminy Cricket – like the character from Pinnochio.
Taking Jiminy Cricket home, his condition slowly, slowly began to improve. He was very timid and stand-offish in the beginning, but soon – he knew he was safe and could relax. In fact, he even found his favorite bed in the house after just a couple of days!
A couple of weeks passed and Jiminy Cricket made an incredible recovery. Not only did he recover physically, but his personality really began to shine – he loves playing with his new furry siblings! He also has learned to trust humans, giving lots of snuggles with both Shannon and her human kids.
Jiminy Cricket ended up becoming the biggest (and arguably, happiest!) dog in the house.
“This dog has been with us and has become such a part of our family,” Shannon said. “So we decided that Jiminy Cricket is staying with us and is going to be our fourth rescue dog.”
What started as heartless abandonment ended with love and compassion. The stars certainly aligned that day and we’re so happy that Shannon stepped into action.
“The boys and I could not imagine our life without Jiminy Cricket in it,” Shannon said.
Watch more about Jiminy Cricket’s journey in the video below.
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