When Jimmy Nicholos’s beloved dog, Boots, went missing on New Year’s Eve, he almost lost his sense of purpose. For six years, the two treated each other as best friends. The brown Labrador retriever always offered a constant source of joy when living on the streets of Sherman Oaks.
Nicholos was undeniably upset when a woman stole the dog after offering to clean and return him. He plastered missing dog posters around the Valley with the group’s aid and the START Rescue Resale, where Nicholos works. They also provided a reward for anyone who can find Boots.
After a while, he brought a case against the woman, Nicole Lawrence. He accused her of stealing Boots from a dog park, believing the groomer’s claim was false. On a chilly Monday night of January, Boots returned shortly after.
Though the civil case’s still ongoing, Nicholos can’t help but feel thrilled to reunite with his dog. A community member Jolie Salter also started a GoFundMe campaign. It aims to help Nicholos to start his own handyman company and purchase a camper van in which he can live and place his equipment.
The donations hub raised $3,870 against the fundraiser’s $20,000 target as of Thursday.
Nicolos’s beginning
The START Rescue hired Nicholos four years ago because of his helpful nature. Initially, he went to the store in the hopes of purchasing a new cart for Boots. After hearing his story, the store owner ended up giving it to him for free.
He spotted something the store would like a few days later and returned to START Rescue to hopefully sell it to them. They asked him to repair something at the shop while he was there, and he did so a few weeks later. Nicholos became a part-time employee shortly after, while Boots became a local star.
Thanks to our friends Fox11 & START Rescue for sharing original photos.
