Manny Pacquiao ran away from home when his dad ate his pet dog

Manny Pacquiao had a very difficult upbringing in the Philippines, which is what ultimately inspired him to pursue a career in professional boxing. But there was one horrifying event in particular that resulted in Pacquiao running away from home.

Earlier this week, Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach told Eurosport that Pacquiao ran away from home at age 12 when his father ate his pet dog.

“Manny ran away from home after his father ate his dog,” Roach explained when talking about how Pacquiao wound up homeless.

Pacquiao’s father is not a monster. His family was simply so poor that his father had to make the difficult decision of cooking the family pet so they could eat. After leaving home, Pacquiao lived on the streets and did things like selling donuts for a nickel more than they cost at the store in order to survive. He became a professional boxer at age 14.

“He slept in a cardboard box,” Roach explained. “He fought his way through all this, turned pro at 14, and look at the man he is today. The Philippines is a poor place, there’s no welfare, no health system and if you don’t have a job or money then you do anything to survive.”

Pacquiao is now idolized by the people of the Philippines, and Roach noted that there is “no crime” in the nation when Pacquiao fights because everyone is glued to a television set. He has already held political office in his home country and has said he is considering running for president one day.

But first, Pacquiao must face Floyd Mayweather Jr. in one of the most highly-anticipated fights of all time. For evidence of that, look no further than how fast tickets to the event sold out. You can imagine how much it would mean to the Philippines if Pacquiao pulled off the upset.