In December 2017, 17-year-old Elliot Sherin and her family went on a cruise to Jamaica. One day, the family was supposed to go horseback riding on the beach. But when they got to the ranch, Elliot spotted something that shocked her.
There was a pack of homeless dogs wandering around the ranch. And trailing behind the pack, she saw a tiny, clearly starving puppy.
Elliot immediately fell in love with the puppy, who was only a few months old. She gave him some food, and she also gave him a name: Kingston.
“The rest of the dogs walked right up to us looking for food,” Elliot told The Dodo. “But he was very scared. He wouldn’t let us get near him. All I could think of was, ‘How am I going to get him out of here?’”
Back on the cruise ship, Elliot immediately started researching how she could get Kingston from Jamaica to her home in Seattle.
Elliot started looking up local shelters, and she found one that was willing to help her: Animal House Jamaica.
Animal House Jamaica said that if Elliot helped cover the cost, they would bring the puppy to their shelter, provide veterinary care, and fly him to Seattle once he was healthy enough to make the trip. Elliot talked to her parents about it, and they said if she found a way to raise the money, then she could bring the dog home.
Animal House Jamaica brought Kingston to their shelter, where they began nursing him back to health.
“He was really malnourished, covered in cuts and scrapes and had heartworms,” Elliot said. “He was with the rescue until February just getting healthy enough to fly.”
As Kingston healed, Elliot worked on securing the funds necessary to get him to Seattle.
She started a GoFundMe page, and people were very moved by her story. She quickly met her goal, and she was able to fly Kingston to her home!
Kingston arrived in Seattle in February 2018, and Elliot was so excited to see him again.
“We got to the airport where he was waiting with all the other pets who had flown in,” Elliot said. “They lifted up the garage door and I saw him sitting in his crate … and I just cried. He was here, after everybody laughed at me for being a kid and trying to set all of this up on my own. He was home and he was so beautiful.”
Elliot was worried Kingston would be nervous in his new house, but it turned out she had nothing to worry about. After about ten minutes, Kingston had already made himself at home.
Kingston also got along well with the Sherins’ other dog, Bentley. The older dog took the little puppy under his paw, and he became like a big brother to him.
Elliot’s parents also fell in love with their new little puppy. Her dad and Kingston often take naps together on the couch, and her mom tucks the pup in every night. Kingston’s life now is full of love!
“Getting him here is what I’m most proud of in my entire life,” Elliot says. “I’m grateful. And he is too.”
Kingston’s life has changed dramatically in just a few months. The puppy went from begging tourists for scraps to living in a loving home with a wonderful family. And it’s all thanks to one determined girl who refused to stop trying until she had saved this little puppy!
If you’d like to see more adorable photos of Kingston, check out his Instagram page.
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