It is a very sad truth that many dogs grow up and live in terrible conditions and circumstances.
A lot of them are severely neglected and cruelly abused to the point where they completely lose trust in hoomans, making them depressed, anxious, and sometimes even violent.
Luckily, many of these very unfortunate dogs end up being rescued and given another opportunity to lead a happy life.
One of those dogs is Cricket.
A Very Sad Backstory
As a puppy, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier named Cricket did not have a very happy life.
“She was thrown out of a moving vehicle at six months old and then a squatter picked her up and put her in a cage for about a year and a half,” Josh, Cricket’s owner, told GeoBeats.
For the entirety of the time spent in the cage, Cricket was never let out. She was forced to do all of her business in it, making her very dirty and depressed.
However, when a Detroit rescuer and a rehabilitator named Josh heard about the living conditions of this pup, he decided to save her immediately.
He headed down to the house she was kept in and demanded that Cricket leave with him.
“I’m like, ‘Hey man, we got two options here, you could either just give me the dog scot-free or we can contact the authorities and unfortunately you would lose the dog and your home,” said Josh.
As soon as Cricket’s previous owner heard this, he willingly surrendered Cricket to Josh, and thus, she began her new life.
Finally Safe
As soon as Josh got Cricket in his car, he decided to make this day even sweeter for her and immediately took her to get some ice cream.
Right after her treat, Josh took her to an open field where he allowed her to run free for the first time in her life.
When they finally got home, it was time for a much-needed bath. Josh stated that it took ten baths for this sweet girl to be completely clean.
From that day forward, Cricket knew only love, happiness, and fun!
Returning The Favor
Cricket felt incredibly grateful for what Josh had done for her – so much so that she decided to return the favor.
Since Josh was in the military and is now a veteran who suffers from PTSD and is permanently disabled, he was in need of a sweet service pup.
He decided that Cricket was the perfect dog and she was overjoyed when she realized that she was going to help the one who completely changed her life for the better.
Now, Cricket is constantly by Josh’s side, helping him in every way possible.
“When I go to the grocery store, I can’t bend down. If I drop anything, she’ll grab it and bring it to my cart. When I am trying to get up out of bed she helps me with anchoring to help me get up,” he added.
Since Josh’s legs give out inward, Cricket walks between them in order to brace them and help him walk.
Cricket also helps Josh cope with his PTSD by constantly reassuring him that everything is okay.
One Happy Pup
Even though some people get scared of Cricket because they confuse her for a Pit Bull, many are completely won over by her adorable face.
She even learned how to wave so that whenever a child waves at her, she can wave right back.
“This dog is nothing but pure happiness. It’s kind of funny, she’s been through so much and she’s just pure joy,” said Josh.
Looking at Cricket right now, one would never be able to tell what she went through when she was a puppy.
All they could see is a happy pup who loves running around, having fun, and making sure that her hooman has everything he needs.
Good girl, Cricket.