Cinnamon, a red-nosed Pitbull, was heartbroken when she was abandoned at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control shelter in North Carolina.
She had been left without her puppies, and tears welled up in her eyes whenever anyone approached her.
This grieving Pitbull mother caught the attention of a volunteer, who decided to film a short video of her and share it on Facebook.
Just 48 hours later, Cinnamon’s life was completely transformed.
Cry Of A Broken Heart
Source: Sarah Jennings Sleime
Sarah Jennings Sleime, a regular volunteer with the Greater Charlotte SPCA, spontaneously decided one Saturday to visit the animal control facility to assess a few dogs for potential rescue.
Little did she know, one dog in particular would deeply touch her heart.
“As I walked through the kennels, a pit bull caught my attention… She was sitting upright, but slouched over, almost in a human-like posture,” Sleime wrote in her Instagram post.
It was evident that she had recently given birth and was profoundly distressed by the absence of her puppies.
“[The shelter staff] believe she was kept confined and used solely for breeding. It’s clear she’s had numerous litters,” Sleime told The Dodo.
Sleime then crouched down and began speaking to Cinnamon, but each time she did, tears welled up in Cinnamon’s eyes.
“It was a remarkable sight,” Sleime said.
Source: Sarah Jennings Sleime
In the absence of a foster home, the SPCA was unable to rescue any big dogs, but Sleime knew she had to do something to help this poor 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.
https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fsarah.sleime%2Fvideos%2F10155121722115886%2F%3Fref%3Dembed_video&show_text=0&width=267
In only a day, Sleime’s inbox was filled with hundreds of messages about Cinnamon and her availability.
Happily Ever After
Sarah Jennings Sleime’s friend, Meghan Connor Shelton, who resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, was among the many people who viewed Cinnamon’s video.
She shared with The Dodo:
“Pit bulls hold a special place in my heart. They’re a misunderstood breed, and when I saw her crying in that video, I couldn’t help but cry myself. My children were moved to tears too. I showed my husband, and he agreed that we should visit her the next day.”
The following morning, Shelton’s family was at the front of the line to meet Cinnamon.
https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fsarah.sleime%2Fvideos%2F10155124067025886%2F%3Fref%3Dembed_video&show_text=0&width=267
The whole family, including the children, were immediately in love with her. “It was love at first sight. She just kind of pulled at our heartstrings,” Shelton said.
They filled out the paperwork, and as soon as Cinnamon – now known as Rosie – was spayed, they brought her home.
Source: Sarah Jennings Sleime
The family already had another dog at home – a 3-year-old male Pitbull named Blu.
Initially uncertain about how they would get along, especially considering Rosie’s troubled past, the family was pleasantly surprised.
“It was intriguing because you never know how it will turn out, but they simply sat beside each other with wagging tails,” Shelton remarked.
Source: @rosie_the_red_nose_pit
The two are now the best of friends, and they enjoy each other’s company. It’s like they’ve known each other their whole life.
As Rosie gradually settled into her new home and routine, her personality began to shine. One of her unique traits, according to the family, is that “when she’s excited, she snorts like a pig.”
Rosie’s heartwarming video not only led to her finding a new home but also contributed to many other shelter dogs finding their forever families.
Source: @meghanshelton
“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 said.
One simple video or a photo can reach millions of people and in a matter of seconds, change someone’s life.