ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - One South Georgia little girl’s lost sloth has turned into a mission to help those in less fortunate situations.

When Karter Jane “KJ” Smith lost her stuffed sloth in Savannah, Ga, she never expected to see her friend again. Instead, she was reunited with her sloth and made another new friend in the process. This has kickstarted her mission to help those who suffer from homelessness.

Karter Jane was given “Slosh the Sloth” as a baby, and she has taken him everywhere since then. Her dad, Kenny Smith, regularly attends business meetings all across the Southeast, prompting Karter Jane and Slosh the Sloth to be frequent guests on these trips.

When a business trip led them to Savannah in 2022, the family enjoyed a day of fun across the city. The day was going amazing, but by dinner time, Karter Jane realized something was very wrong. Her friend Slosh the Sloth was missing.

The family retraced steps, checking stores, and asking everyone they possibly could in hopes to find Karter Jane’s friend. They had no luck. That night, Karter Jane went to bed with a heavy heart; many tears were shed over her stuffed friend she had slept with every night for more than two years.

Seeing his daughter’s broken heart, her father Kenny did not give up. Taking one last walk around Savannah, Kenny hunted through trash cans, dark corners, and up and down streets.

In a shocking turn of events, Kenny stumbled upon two men discussing their “little friend that always smiles.” The friend in question? Slosh the Sloth.

These two men are part of the eleven percent of the Savannah-area population Chatham Savannah Authority for the Homeless reported as “chronically homeless” in 2025.

They told Kenny they found Slosh the Sloth face down in a park and were completely willing to return their new friend back to its owner. When Karter Jane learned the news of Slosh’s return, she immediately wanted to meet and thank the men.

Being the sole heroes of Slosh, the Smith family also wanted to do something extra to reward their kindness after wanting nothing in return. Over $1,600 was raised in less than twelve hours after the family posted online asking for blessings.

The next day, the family walked Savannah for two hours hunting the duo down.

Once finding them, the Smiths gave them their raised funds, profuse thanks, and two stuffed sloths of their own.

As of January 2026, the family regularly looks to find one of the men, Shaggy, when they visit the city. Even when they can’t, Karter Jane and her family deliver goods and aid to those suffering from homelessness in the area.

Their experience with Shaggy and his friend showed them the realities of those unlike themselves. She has even written a book about the experience, Sloth Goes to Savannah, raising money at signings of her book. One stuffed sloth has created a mission this South Georgia child will carry for a lifetime in her heart.

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