Jitterbug the Cane Corso was found alone on the side of a busy street. Several people had stopped to help her, but she refused to get in their cars. She waited there for about 36 hours before an animal rescue came to save her. They noticed that she was very hungry and tired, and she was even missing some teeth! As they got to know the pup better, they soon learned that she had been abandoned by a famous athlete.
When Jitterbug was scanned for a microchip, they found that she had lived with Tampa Bay Buccaneers Player Rakeem Nunez-Roches. So, they contacted him, and he said he would pick her up on Sunday. However, he had a football game in Detroit that same day. The rescue was already skeptical after hearing that.
Nunez-Roches never showed up to bring his dog home. Unfortunately, that wasn’t even the saddest part of the situation.
Nunez-Roches’ History with Dogs
As it turns out, Nunez-Roches is actually a dog breeder. He breeds Cane Corso puppies, and sells these puppies for about $3,000 each even though there are so many shelter dogs getting euthanized each day.
Jitterbug was one of his breeding dogs. He purchased her when she was a young puppy, and he used her to make a profit. It seems that when he no longer needed her, he abandoned her. If this is the case, then he doesn’t deserve to keep playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“We are aware of the issue regarding Rakeem Nunez-Roches and are in the process of gathering additional information. We will refrain from further comment until we have a better understanding of the situation,” said the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Since this information has appeared on the news, Nunez-Roches has taken down the website and social media for his breeding business. He has refused to respond to any questions about the matter. Hopefully, he’ll get punished for his terrible actions soon.
Jitterbug’s New Family
It’s not all bad news for Jitterbug! Once it was clear that Nunez-Roches wasn’t coming back for her, someone stepped forward to pre-adopt her.
Andrea and Keith Johnson were excited to welcome Jitterbug into their home. They already have a Cane Corso of their own named Addi, so they felt that Jitterbug would feel comfortable with them. They have a large home with plenty of space for the two big dogs to run around.
The rescue group approved the pre-adoption, so Jitterbug was able to go home after she was spayed. The Johnsons said that Jitterbug is doing great. She even got to eat a delicious meal of steak and potatoes on her first night.
Jitterbug’s new family reached out to Nunez-Roches’ wife to find out more information. She told them about the commands that Jitterbug knows, what food she prefers, and how much she loves to walk and go for car rides.
Nunez-Roches’ wife claimed that they gave up Jitterbug because they have a new baby on the way. However, that doesn’t explain why the poor pup was abandoned on the road. If you can’t care for your dog, you should at least make sure they find a new loving home. Hopefully, someone will be able to reveal the whole story soon.
H/T: tmz.com
Featured Image: Screenshots, baynews9.com
Toledo, United States.
