We want to think every dog and cat has a loving home where they feel safe and cared for, but unfortunately, that’s not the case. Pet homelessness remains a pressing issue in the entire world.
In the US alone, there are already 70 million stray animals. Of this number, only around six to eight million cats and dogs get into the country’s 3,500 shelters per year, according to the Humane Society of the United States.
Sadly, having a home doesn’t automatically mean safety for some of these companion pets.
Some owners also surrender their pets when the novelty of owning a puppy subsides, or when the animal gets sick and becomes a burden.
That’s exactly what happened to this pittie puppy, whose owner put him in a cardboard box and left behind near a parking lot. Little did the man know there was a security camera that caught what he did.
The owner of that camera was Shannon. When she saw the footage and spotted the man dropping off a mysterious package in front of the parking lot, she checked to see the contents of the box. She opened it to find a pit bull puppy in a very dire condition. The canine was severely malnourished and had a lot of bald spots. He also looked extremely frail.
As a mom to three rescue dogs, Shannon isn’t a stranger to helping animals in need. Although the dog looked like a hopeless case, she knew the puppy could make it long as he got proper care.
“He was in such a terrible condition,” she told The Dodo. “But he was still fighting and he was still hanging on.”
Shannon wanted to do everything in her power to help the pup recover, so she took him in and named him “Jiminy Cricket,” a character from “Pinocchio.” It was clear at the beginning of his journey that he still had a long way to go, but Shannon was confident she would be there for him every step of the way.
As she predicted, Jiminy Cricket’s condition slowly began to improve. The pup was still a bit timid during the first few days, but he eventually understood that he was already in a safe environment. Days after Shannon took him in, the pup began getting more comfortable in his new home, and with that, he found his own favorite bed in the house!
He made incredible progress weeks after being with Shannon and her family. He recovered physically and was able to hold his own during playtime with the other dogs. Despite his lonely past, Jiminy Cricket managed to restore his trust towards humans. He let them cuddle him. He also loved hanging out with the other three rescues and became best friends with Shannon’s kids.
Before anyone knew it, Jiminy Cricket became the largest dog in the house. He couldn’t even fit in his bed anymore! Out of all her rescues, Shannon considered Jiminy Cricket as the most special one because of his amazing transformation.
“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.”
This pit bull puppy was once abandoned by his cruel owners, but he is fortunate to have found a family who would love him forever.
“The boys and I could not imagine our life without Jiminy Cricket in it,” Shannon said.
Learn more about Jiminy Cricket’s incredible transformation story in the video below.