A homeless teenager gets his dog back and a home thanks to strangers
A homeless teenager living under a bridge finds his beloved dog and a new home thanks to strangers
It is impossible to imagine our dogs being left behind to be cared for by another person.
Sadly, that’s what a young man in Tate County, Mississippi, was forced to do when he found himself and his pup in a dire situation, living under a bridge and running out of food.
The 17-year-old’s dog was a four-month-old Rottweiler/German shepherd mix named Jada, and the teen was trying his best to make ends meet. But it proved too difficult.
He set up a tent for Jada and left him to look for work. But Jada ran away. The owner was left without a source of income and had already used up all their food.
Jada was walked by the teen to Senatobia–Tate County Animal Shelter. He asked if they could let him leave his dog there.
“I was just sitting up here in the office and had just finished some cleaning and saw a young man walking across the field with what looked like a dog in tow,” recalled Interim Shelter Director Kris Robinson.
Robinson told him they were “so full.” But after telling her that he couldn’t take care of the dog anymore and that they lived under a bridge, she was moved to grant his request.
While there, Jada kept herself pinned to her owner’s legs. Evidently, the two have a special bond.
Robinson decided to make room for Jada because they were running out on food.
Jada’s owner left her in the shelter with a plastic bag containing her dog food and blanket. She sadly laid on the floor of the receiving area, probably wondering why her dad didn’t take her with him.
“For this young man to just be 17 and down on is luck, and no matter what problems he’s facing, he still took the time to walk her over her and make sure somebody was going to take care of her, I think that says a lot about his character,” Robinson said.
She doesn’t know exactly which bridge the teen claims to be living under. Robinson also didn’t reveal his name to keep his privacy intact.
The shelter was concerned about the young man and wanted him to be off the streets. They gave him a surrender form that contained some information about him and passed it on to anyone who could help.
The shelter posted Jada’s photo online, and it became viral. Many people were touched by the young man’s kindness and wanted to help him out. They offered to help him and his dog by donating money and a place where they could rest.
The community reached out and offered any assistance to the teen. Jada was also being considered for adoption. However, shelter staff clarified that Jada would stay with them until her owner made a decision.
A few days later, the shelter posted an update via social media.
“[T]he homeless teenager who brought this baby to the shelter to surrender her because he couldn’t give her what she needs is getting the help he needs,” they wrote on Facebook. “He has a place to stay and will be soon getting his dog back.”
The animal shelter would like to spay the dog and give her heart prevention and tick prevention for a year. They also shared details about how people could help.
“If you’d like to donate please do so through PayPal and use fosasenatobia@gmail.com — you can also donate for the young man — monetarily or Walmart gift cards — I know he would appreciate the help, both for him and for his dog,” they posted.
WREG reported recently that the teen and his dog were reunited and are now staying with a local family, who offered to take them in while he sort things out.
Senatobia Police Department claimed that they had successfully located him with the assistance of several members of the community.
“I hope his selfless actions have made people think about the animals in this community- they deserve a chance, they don’t deserve to be dumped anywhere,” the shelter wrote.
“Please consider donating to your local shelters to help them spay and neuter all the animals in their care- for their health and so that there are not as many unwanted litters of babies.”
It’s a tragedy that a young person and his dog found themselves in such a desperate situation, but it’s encouraging to see the number of good people willing to help them in their great time of need.
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