A rescue puppy named Elvis has melted hearts on the internet after the person who saved him, shared his story on social media alongside a heartwarming video of the shaking puppy.
In the video, shared on TikTok on Sunday under the username Elvistherescuepup, the scared Shi Tzu puppy can be seen shivering as his new owner cuddles him with a warm towel, with a caption that reads: “Found today in a plastic bag.”
The poster also wrote: “Today we found this little puppy in a plastic bag. There is something wrong with him and he was very cold and dirty. I brought him home and he ate some food he was so hungry, why is this world so cruel to animals it makes me sick.”
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), around 6.3 million companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year, and of those, approximately 3.1 million are dogs and 3.2 million are cats.
While the number is still high, it has declined through the years, going down from approximately 7.2 million in 2011. Meanwhile, the biggest decline was observed in dogs, which went down from 3.9 million to 3.1 million.
Approximately 920,000 shelter animals are euthanized each year—390,000 dogs and 530,000 cats. About 4.1 million shelter pets are adopted each year—2 million dogs and 2.1 million cats.
The video quickly gained popularity on the social media platform and has so far received over 1 million views and 72,600 likes.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW:
@elvistherescuepup Today We Found This Little Puppy In A Plastic Bag 😭 There Is Something Wrong With Him & He Was Very Cold & Dirty. I Brought Him Home & He Ate Some Food He Was So Hungry, Why Is This World So Cruel To Animals It Makes Me Sick 😭 #abandonedpuppy #rescuepuppy #puppy #shihtzusoftiktok #rescue #puppytiktok #animals #animalcruelty #help #save #swimmingpuppysyndrome #foryou #foryoupage #fyp #fudgememories #nathancross #support #gofundme ♬ Surrender – Natalie Taylor