Teen Raises Money To Save Starving Puppy In Jamaica, Then Flies Him To US.
It was December of 2017, and 17-year-old Elliot Sherin was on a family vacation in Jamaica.
Unfortunately, there are way too many animals out there that are homeless, starving, and dying. This is why it's so important to adopt animals into our families. This teenager saw a starving puppy while on a trip to Jamaica with her family, and instead of turning a blind eye, she went to great lengths to make sure that he was taken care of.
They were on a cruise vacation and were doing all kinds of different activities. They were planning on riding horses on the beach, but when they arrived at the ranch, their plans quickly changed.
When Elliot arrived at the ranch, she noticed something that made her heart sink.
There was a pack of homeless dogs wandering all over the ranch! And the very last one in line just so happened to be a small, starving puppy. Elliot couldn't believe what she was seeing!
Elliot immediately became attached to the little pup, who appeared to be just a few months old.
He was obviously hungry so Elliot gave him a little bit of food. After spending a little bit of time with the pup, Elliot decided to give him the name Kingston.
Elliot knew that she needed to do something to help the pup, but he was extremely skittish.
“The rest of the dogs walked right up to us looking for food. 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?’” said Elliot in an interview with The Dodo.
Once Elliot made her way back to the cruise ship, she started doing a bit of research.
She wanted to bring Kingston to her home in Seattle, but she had no clue how she was going to get it done. That was when Elliot began to contact local animal shelters to see if anyone was willing to help.
After a few calls, Elliot found a shelter who was able to help her and Kingston out.
Animal House Jamaica explained that if Elliot was able to help with the cost, then they would care for Kingston until he was well enough to travel to Seattle. After she found out that they would give him veterinary care, food, and shelter, she spoke to her parents.
While Elliot was talking to her parents, the people from The Animal House Jamaica brought Kingston to their shelter.
“He was really malnourished, covered in cuts and scrapes and had heartworms. He was with the rescue until February just getting healthy enough to fly," explained Elliot.
Fortunately, Elliot's parents said that if she found a way to raise the money to bring Kingston to Seattle, then she could keep him, so she got to work.
Elliot made a GoFundMe account and quickly raised enough money to bring Kingston home. In February 2018, Kingston landed safely in Seattle.
“We got to the airport where he was waiting with all the other pets who had flown in."
"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," said Elliot.
Elliot was a bit nervous that Kingston wasn't going to do well in his new home, but Kingston fit in just fine.
He immediately became friends with Bentley, the other dog in the home. Bentley was older than Elliot, so he took it upon himself to show the pup the ropes. It seems like everyone was more than happy to have Kingston home!
Even Elliot's parents quickly fell in love with the pup!
Her dad especially likes to take naps with their new family member. If it wasn't for Elliot and her strong will to help, Kingston might still be starving in Jamaica. “Getting him here is what I’m most proud of in my entire life. I’m grateful. And he is too," she explained.
