A volunteer’s chance visit to a North Carolina animal shelter turned into a viral moment that changed the course of one dog’s life, after a seven-year-old pit bull appeared to cry while sitting alone in her kennel.
A Dog Who Looked “Very Human-Like”
Sarah Jennings Sleime, a volunteer with the Greater Charlotte SPCA, was visiting the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control shelter to evaluate dogs for rescue when she noticed a pit bull the shelter had named Cinnamon, sitting slumped in her kennel.
“She was very human-like — slumped over and very solemn,” Sleime said. She stopped to talk to the dog, and what happened next stopped her in her tracks: Cinnamon’s eyes appeared to well up with tears as Sleime spoke to her. “It was the craziest phenomenon,” Sleime said.
A History of Breeding and Loss
Shelter staff told Sleime they believed Cinnamon had recently given birth and had likely been used repeatedly as a breeding dog before being surrendered without her puppies. “[The shelter workers] believe she was confined and used as a breeding machine,” Sleime explained. “She’s obviously had many, many litters.”
At the time, the Greater Charlotte SPCA didn’t have space or foster availability to take in large breed dogs. Determined to help anyway, Sleime pulled out her phone and filmed Cinnamon, then posted the video to Facebook, writing: “Someone dumped this poor mama at the shelter, minus her babies… Every time I stopped to talk to her and say I was sorry her eyes would fill with tears. Heartbreaking!!”
A Video That Found Her a Home
The video spread quickly, drawing roughly a million views and tens of thousands of shares within days. Messages poured in from people wanting to adopt Cinnamon.
Among them was Meghan Shelton, a friend of Sleime’s. “I have a special place in my heart for pit bulls. I think they’re a very misunderstood dog and a misunderstood breed,” Shelton told The Dodo. “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.”
A New Name and a New Life
The Sheltons met Cinnamon the next day and adopted her on the spot, renaming her Rosie. The family already had a three-year-old pit bull named Blu, and the two dogs got along immediately. Sleime captured the reunion moment on camera too — this time showing a very different Cinnamon, tail wagging nonstop, visibly thrilled rather than despondent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can dogs actually cry emotional tears the way humans do?
Dogs can produce tears for physical reasons (irritation, illness, tear duct issues), but there’s no scientific evidence they cry emotionally the way humans do — most experts attribute apparent “crying” to watery eyes combined with body language like whining or a slumped posture that humans interpret as sadness.
What happens to dogs used repeatedly for breeding once they’re no longer wanted?
Dogs from unregulated or irresponsible breeding operations are sometimes abandoned or surrendered to shelters once they’re considered no longer profitable, often arriving with signs of physical strain, poor socialization, or emotional withdrawal — which is part of why advocacy groups push for stronger breeding regulations.
How can people help dogs like Cinnamon find homes?
Sharing shelter dogs’ profiles and videos, fostering, volunteering at local shelters, and choosing adoption over buying from unregulated breeders are among the most direct ways individuals can help.
Sources: GodTube, Shared.com, and iHeartDogs.com, all citing volunteer Sarah Jennings Sleime and adopter Meghan Shelton.
Do you think his soul has been sold to the devil?
What a sad story with a wonderfully happy ending. That pit bull deserves all things wonderful in her life from now on. They picked the right family to adopt her. God bless them all!!!!!!!!!