Every year, Philadelphia, Mississippi hosts an event that attracts people from all over the country. The Neshoba County Fair is full of food, fun, and entertainment, and this year, it was also the setting of a lucky little dog’s happily ever after.
NFL legend Peyton Manning retired from professional football after winning a Super Bowl championship with the Denver Broncos in 2016, but he also has strong family ties to Mississippi. Growing up, he and his siblings spent their summers in Philadelphia, Mississippi where their mother used to live, and they’ve kept up the tradition with their own children. Manning, his wife Ashley, and their twins Marshall and Mosley, spend part of every summer at the Neshoba County Fair. They go for the family fun, and this year, they left with a new family member.
Ferris wheel sure is looking good tonight.
Posted by Neshoba County Fair on Thursday, July 20, 2017
It all started when a concerned citizen saw someone selling a puppy at the fair. The puppy weighed less than two pounds and was covered in fleas. When it wasn’t being secured by a rope around its neck, the poor puppy was kept inside a garbage bag. It took $100, but the concerned citizen rescued the puppy from the horrible conditions. The problem, however, was the person who bought the puppy couldn’t keep it. A stroke of good luck saved the day.
Pippa Jackson, founder of Animal Rescue Fund of Mississippi, happened to be in the right place at the right time. She owns a cabin by the fair and saw a woman carrying around a tiny, sad-looking puppy. After a short conversation, she learned the puppy was in desperate need of help, and she was the exact right person for the job. She took the puppy in, gave her multiple baths to get rid of the fleas, fed her quality food, set her up with a heating pad, and got to work planning a way to save the little dog’s life.
Jackson ended up calling her cousin, Carolyn Yates Voyles, who also has a cabin near the fair. Carolyn agreed to serve as puppy foster parent, and she and her children took the puppy back to their cabin. So far, a series of fortunate events were working together to save the little dog’s life, and fate had one more lucky twist to the story.
(Pippa posting)This week whilst at the Neshoba County Fair on vacation, we rescued a tiny, two pound puppy, from one…
Posted by Animal Rescue Fund of MS (ARF) on Wednesday, August 1, 2018
A couple cabins down from where Carolyn was staying, the Manning family was enjoying their summer vacation. When the Manning children came down to play with Carolyn’s children, 7-year-old Mosley fell in love with the tiny puppy. She went back to her parents to tell them about the poor pup, and from there, the puppy’s fate was sealed. Peyton Manning’s wife, Ashley, asked if her family could adopt the puppy. After the request was approved and the puppy received necessary attention from a vet, the Manning family grew by one.
Life was rough at first, but thanks to Animal Rescue Fund of MS and a string of good luck, a little puppy from a Mississippi fair is living large as the newest Manning. Check out Animal Rescue Fund of MS on Facebook to learn more about the awesome work they do for animals in need.
Featured image via Facebook/Animal Rescue League of MS