When Cinnamon, a red nose Pitbull girl, was abandoned at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control shelter in North Carolina, she was devastated. Left without her babies, tears filled her eyes whenever anyone approached her.
This heartbroken Pitbull mama caught the attention of a volunteer who decided to film a short video of her and share it on Facebook. Within just 48 hours, Cinnamon’s life took a remarkable turn.
Cry Of A Broken Heart
Sarah Jennings Sleime, a volunteer for the Greater Charlotte SPCA, made a spontaneous trip to the animal control facility one Saturday. Little did she know that she would encounter a dog that would deeply touch her heart.
“I walked the kennels and a pit bull caught my eye… she was sitting up, kind of slumped-over, almost human-like,” Sleime shared in an Instagram post.
It was evident that Cinnamon had recently given birth and was heartbroken without her puppies.
“[The shelter workers] believe she was confined and used as a breeding machine. She’s obviously had many, many litters,” Sleime explained to The Dodo.
Each time Sleime spoke to Cinnamon, the dog’s eyes welled up with tears, a heartbreaking sight.
Despite the lack of an immediate foster home, the SPCA couldn’t rescue large dogs. However, Sleime knew she had to do something for this distressed dog.
“I snapped some video footage of her ‘crying’ and posted it to Facebook. 48 hours later, that video has been viewed 1 MILLION times and shared by 20k people,” Sleime wrote.
In just one day, Sleime received countless messages about Cinnamon’s availability for adoption.
Happily Ever After
One of those touched by Cinnamon’s story was Meghan Connor Shelton from Charlotte, North Carolina. She watched Cinnamon’s video and was moved to tears.
“I have a special place in my heart for pit bulls. I think they’re a very misunderstood dog and a misunderstood breed. And when I saw her in that video, literally crying in a cage, I cried. My kids cried. I showed my husband, and he said we could go look at her tomorrow,” Shelton shared with The Dodo.
The next morning, Shelton’s family was first in line to meet Cinnamon.
The whole family, including their 3-year-old Pitbull male named Blu, fell in love with Cinnamon, now known as Rosie. After completing the necessary paperwork and spaying Rosie, they welcomed her into their home.
Rosie and Blu quickly became best friends, surprising everyone with their immediate bond.
“It was love at first sight. She just kind of pulled at our heartstrings,” Shelton expressed.
Rosie’s video not only secured her a loving home but also helped other dogs at the shelter find forever homes.
“Small acts have a big impact: Not only was this sweet dog, Cinnamon, adopted the next morning, but other families who came to adopt her saved other dogs at the shelter, freeing up kennels for strays and owner surrenders waiting in the back who would have certainly been euthanized as the shelter is full,” Sleime remarked.
This heartwarming story shows the power of social media and community support in changing lives, one pet at a time. Visit the CMPD Animal Care and Control page and the Greater Charlotte SPCA’s website for more information about adoptable dogs and opportunities to save lives like Rosie’s.