NFL Player’s Abandoned Dog Finds Loving New Home
There are many reasons why people choose to abandon their dogs. One of the most common reasons is that people are experiencing financial hardship and they decide they can no longer afford to care for their pets. However, some people have plenty of money and still abandon them with no clear motivation for their actions. That is seemingly the case of the dog who was recently abandoned by an NFL player. I Heart Dogs reported that a Cane Corso called Jitterbug was found wandering the streets of Florida. Although several concerned drivers stopped their cars to check if the dog was OK, she was reluctant to get in the car with them.
It is believed that the dog was on the streets for approximately 36 hours before she was eventually picked up by animal rescue. It was clear that the poor dog was very hungry and tired. They also noticed that the dog was missing a couple of teeth. The dog was taken to a shelter where the staff got to know her better. They also scanned her for a microchip to see if they could identify her former owner and find out more about why she had been abandoned. What they discovered shocked everyone.
Unlike many dogs, Jitterbug had not been abandoned by someone who could not afford to care for her. The microchip data revealed that her owner In fact, not only was her owner a person with financial stability, but he was also a well-known figure. Jitterbug’s registered owner was none other than Rakeem Nunez-Roches, an NFL player with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The staff at the shelter contacted the NFL player straight away. He told the staff that he would collect his dog on Sunday. Immediately, this rang alarm bells with the staff as they knew that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had an away-game in Detroit on that day. This made them skeptical that the player would turn up to collect the dog. As the staff suspected, Nunez-Roches did not show up on Sunday to collect Jitterbug. Surprisingly, this was not the saddest part of the story as the shelter staff discovered when they learned more about Nunez-Roches. It transpired that Nunez-Roches was a dog breeder alongside playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He would breed Cane Corso dogs and then sell them for approximately $3,000 each. The Cane Corso breed is a type of Pit Bull, and Nunez-Roches was breeding them even though this is a breed that is often abandoned and then euthanized.
The staff at the shelter discovered that Nunez-Roches had bought Jitterbug when she was a puppy and that he had used her as one of his breeding dogs to make a profit. When he no longer needed the dog, he simply abandoned her at the side of the street. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were made aware of this situation, and they released a statement. In this statement, they said that they were in the process of gathering further information regarding the situation. They stated that they would not make any further comments until they had a better understanding of exactly what had happened. Although Nunez-Roches has refused to make any comment regarding the situation, he has taken some action. The NFL player has taken down his breeding business’ website and the related social media pages. At this time, it is unclear if he will receive any punishment for his actions.
While this may seem a terrible situation, it is possible that Jitterbug will now lead a better life than she was experiencing before. When it became clear that Nunez-Roches was not coming to collect his dog, the staff at the shelter took the appropriate steps to help Jitterbug find a new home, and it was not long before someone came forward to adopt her. Andrea and Keith Johnson heard about Jitterbug’s story, and they fell in love with her straight away. They already had a Cane Corso in their home called Addi, so they were fully aware of the needs of this breed. They thought that Jitterbug would make the perfect companion for Addi, and they have a large home with plenty of space for the two dogs to run around together. After the adoption was approved, The Johnsons took Jitterbug home to meet her new playmate. On her first night in her new home, Jitterbug had a delicious meal of steak and potatoes. With a new friend, lots of space, and tasty meals, it is little wonder that Jitterbug soon settled into her new home.
Andrea Johnson wanted to learn some more about Jitterbug, so she decided to reach out to Nunez-Roches’ wife. This allowed Mrs. Johnson to learn about the food that the dog preferred, the commands that she understands, and the fact that her two favorite activities are going for car rides and enjoying long walks. During the contact between the two women, Nunez-Roches’ wife also defended her husband’s actions. She explained that they were forced to give up the dog due to the arrival of a new baby. Although having a baby is something that can impact on a decision to surrender a dog, this is not an excuse for leaving Jitterbug to fend for herself at the side of the road. There were plenty of other options open to Nunez-Roches, including giving the dog to a friend or surrendering the dog to an animal shelter. Instead of choosing these sensible options, he instead made the decision to simply abandon the dog.
Despite the cruel way in which she was abandoned, Jitterbug is now enjoying a happy life with her adoptive parents and her new sister Addi. She can now move forward with her life as a much-loved pet instead of being an animal purely used for breeding to gain profit. Jitterbug can simply enjoy fantastic meals, spending time with her playmate, and having lots of cuddles with her new owners.
