Adopting a rescue animal can bring immense happiness into your life; in some cases, these pets have a habit of “rescuing” their owners right back.
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Two years ago, Anne and Vic Tenaglia of West Chester, Pennsylvania, agreed to foster a dog from the Brandywine Valley SPCA. The two-year-old pit bull terrier named Jingles had been saved from a dog fighting ring along with 11 other pups.
While Jingles was a sweet animal, he had been badly abused; he was way underweight, covered in wounds, and suffered from severe anxiety. He coped with his stress by gnawing at his own paws and tail. By the time he came to live with Anne and Vic, Jingles had chewed on his tail so much, he was in danger of losing it.
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Because of the pit bull breed’s unfavorable reputation, Anne was hesitant to take Jingles in at first – but once she saw how badly he needed help, she knew she couldn’t leave him in the shelter. Unfortunately, once Jingles came to live with his new family, he was still a bundle of nerves. He continued to chew his tail and exhibit other signs of anxiety, and the Tenaglias knew they had to do something to help him cope.
So they started walking.
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Anne and Vic quickly noticed that the dog’s whole personality changed when they took him on three-mile walks each day. He stopped his anxious chewing, his wounds healed, and he seemed happier than he had ever been.
“The only thing that would calm him down was walking. We walked him four or five or six times a day,”Anne said.
As an added bonus, Vic and Anne started seeing vast improvements in their own health, too. Within a few months of starting Jingles’s walks, they had lost a combined 80 pounds!
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For years, Anne had suffered from heart problems like high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, and an irregular heartbeat. She was used to going to the hospital a few times a year to get her heart checked out, but since Jingles came home, she hasn’t had a single episode.
“We saved his life, but we like to say he saved ours,”Anne said. “My muscles are more developed, and I am not having to take as much pain medication […] It helped with my weight and helped with my heart.â€
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Vic has also had a reduction in health problems, and he’s now down 60 pounds! All thanks to Jingles.
After a year of having Jingles in their family, they decided to officially adopt him… and he continues to fit right in with his new furever family. “We were thrilled to death,”Anne stated. “He actually chose us before we realized he had wormed his way into our hearts.â€
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Their daily walks have also inspired Vic and Anne to start taking Jingles on 5K races, a feat she never thought would be in the cards for them.
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After Anne shared their story with the Petco Foundation’s Holiday Wishes campaign, she won $5,000 to give back to the Brandywine SPCA, the shelter where they got Jingles. That money will now go towards helping other dogs find their new families, too.
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We love a happy ending! Best of luck to Anne, Vic, and Jingles!
Please share this story to encourage others to let a rescue animal into their hearts today. You never know when doing so might save a life!
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