She Was Found With a Scar Around Her Muzzle—What That Meant Left Rescuers Heartbroken
When Cinnamon—a tiny Doberman Pinscher puppy—arrived at Animal Friends of the Valleys in Wildomar, California, she was in terrible shape. Cinnamon was severely underweight, lethargic, and weak, likely from days or weeks of malnourishment and dehydration. She also had a disturbing scar encircling the base of her muzzle, making it obvious to her rescuers that someone had taped her mouth shut and likely left her to suffer for quite some time. (Watch Video Below)
Sweet Cinnamon could barely stand and was so weak that she displayed zero typical puppy energy or excitement. She barely held her head up and wouldn’t look at anyone—she was shut down and in both emotional and physical pain. Rescuers knew she was on the brink of giving up, but they were determined to show her that humans could love her and keep her safe, and they started her recovery immediately.
Source: @animalfriendsofthevalleys
Cinnamon Gains Some Strength & Learns To Be a Puppy
Within a few days of her arrival at Animal Friends of the Valleys, Cinnamon was starting to get her spark back. Many hearty meals, fresh water, and love from staff and volunteers had done her wonders, and Cinnamon was proving that she still had plenty of life left in her. Cinnamon was like a new dog—she was playing, socializing, and making friends with the other pups at the shelter.
The once-shut-down puppy was suddenly full of energy, and both her emotional and physical scars were starting to fade.
Leaving a Painful Past Behind: Cinnamon Gets Adopted
It didn’t take long for Cinnamon to make a full recovery. Though she had endured so much trauma in her short life, finally receiving love was all it took to give Cinnamon a chance to recover. The scar on her muzzle healed almost entirely, and her peppy, playful personality got her plenty of attention from shelter visitors and potential adopters.
Then, one day, the perfect people for Cinnamon came for a visit, and this sweet puppy’s road to happily ever after was finally over. Cinnamon got adopted and is now living her best life with her new family. Despite the immense cruelty she was shown at the beginning of her life, Cinnamon proved just how resilient and full of love dogs truly are. Cinnamon was ready to give humans a second chance, and all she needed was for the right people to come along and give her that opportunity.
If Cinnamon’s beautiful road to recovery and a forever home has inspired you to adopt a dog, visit your local shelter and get to know the residents—a dog with so much love to give you is just waiting for you to give them a chance.
