What to Know
- Bonnie and John Adams drove three hours to adopt Jimmy in Jurupa Valley.
- When Jimmy was found, he was about 40 pounds underweight.
- The German Shepherd was able to make a full recovery by eating soft foods and being placed in an IV.
Jimmy was found in nearly critical condition, without any explanation.
Emaciated and wrapped in a blanket, the German shepherd was first brought into the care of the Riverside County Department of Animal Services on Feb. 17.
"We don't really know the back story, but certainly he was in bad shape," said John Welsh who serves as Animal Services chief for Riverside County. "He didn't have a lot of energy when he first came in."
According to the American Kennel Club, the average male German shepherd weighs 65-90 pounds. When Jimmy was left at a night-drop kennel that night, he weighed just 23 pounds. One adult hand could wrap fully around his stomach.
"Certainly some abuse was evident," said Welsh.
Jimmy luckily gained seven pounds within a few days. By placing him under an IV and feeding him soft foods, veterinarians were able to get him fit enough to exercise again.
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"He walks fantastic on a leash," said Welsh. "That little guy was super sweet."
Veterinarians made sure to give updates on his condition through social media, where they got a wave of feedback from concerned followers.
"It was all organic over Facebook, really," said Welsh. "It blew up, like 30,000 hits on Facebook — something astronomical."
While feedback online was immense, some at Riverside were worried how many people would show up to adopt Jimmy once it was announced he was healthy enough for a new family.
On Feb. 22, however, Jimmy found a home.
John and Bonnie Adams, the couple that became his owners, drove three-plus hours from Santa Ynez to Jurupa Valley to adopt him. At the time, they didn’t know if anyone else had shown up to claim Jimmy.
Luckily, they were the first to lend a hand.
"Despite all the social media presence, they were the only couple to show up that morning," said Welsh.
Jimmy, now 8 months old, is living happily with the Adams and on a new diet plan. After a recent visit to a local veterinarian, he was declared to be fully back to normal health.
"Despite whatever [he] dealt with previously, that is a sweet dog," said Welsh. "I never heard the dog bark."
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, about 6.5 million companion animals enter U.S. shelters every year — about half of which are dogs like Jimmy.
