Cinnamon, Quirky Little Viral Sensation

/ Laurie McGovern

We weren’t really looking for a fourth dog. Three seemed like a full house already. Then that picture came across Facebook’s newsfeed …

Growing up in Boston, I was always an animal lover and started a career as a veterinary technician in my twenties, which continued off and on for almost twenty years. In 2016, my husband, Matt, was unexpectedly diagnosed with liver failure and told he needed a transplant to survive. Moving to Florida would be his best chance to do so. Despite being lifelong Massachusetts residents and knowing nobody down south, we took a leap of faith and relocated to Jacksonville with our teenage son and two dogs (our third was adopted here). A successful surgery followed shortly thereafter, and we settled into a life of sunshine and snow-less winters.

As an advocate for Pitbulls and rescue, I had known about Pit Sisters since moving to Jacksonville, and eagerly followed them on social media. One day I was casually scrolling, when this particularly adorable pup popped into view. She had these amazing curly ears that rolled into themselves. Jen Deane of Pit Sisters had rescued her and her litter mates from a rural Georgia shelter. They were malnourished, dirty, and full of worms at only five weeks old. Brought to Florida and nursed back to health, these precious babies were now looking for their forever homes. Dubbed “Cinnamon” for her pastry roll-like ears, I was instantly smitten. I submitted an application to adopt her.

While waiting for a response from the rescue, I noticed her photo circulating on-line. Friends were sending me links to articles and memes they’d seen of her. The Dodo, Reddit, BoredPanda, Unleash Jacksonville :) and other well-known internet sites were showcasing her as the “Puppy Born With ‘Cinnamon Roll’ Ears.” Her story and photo were being viewed, shared, and commented on by tens of thousands of people. I was floored. This puppy who’d once been so carelessly discarded was becoming a viral sensation. She was everywhere! As exciting as it was, I worried her newfound fame and influx of interest might affect our chances in being chosen to adopt her.

Thankfully, I soon heard from Marcy, a Pit Sisters volunteer, that we were selected the lucky family to get to love Cinnamon forever if our dogs got along with her! She brought Cinnamon to our home to assess the compatibility. As I anticipated, Taya, Lou, and Ellie swarmed on her with kisses and wagging tails. As small as Cinnamon was, she absolutely held her own against this hyper threesome, and within minutes all four were rolling around and chasing each other around my living room. We knew she was now part of the pack. We brought her home for good a few days later and the canine shenanigans haven’t stopped. Her ears have since uncurled into floppy tan triangles, and we’ve renamed her “Kira.” She’s a sassy, sweet and silly little spitfire. And still making the rounds on the internet.

I’m now part of the team at Birch Island Veterinary Center, and Matt continues to embrace the second chance we’ve all been given. Four dogs, two rabbits and a bunch of fish keep us busy and we wouldn’t want it any other way. •

Cinnamon, now Kira, all grown up!