Ravens Player Sets an Adoption Example

Some lucky dogs, usually cute puppies, are adopted quickly from animal shelters, while others have to wait years to find a forever home. It's not fair, but sadly the pets that fall into this category are typically older, disabled, or just not as conventionally "cute" as the other pups. Also statistics show that dogs that look remotely like a Pit Bull, or are dark colored, have a harder time being adopted. Fortunately not everyone is willing to overlook these dogs.

Ronnie Stanley, a star player on the Baltimore Ravens football team, set a great example earlier this month when he and his girlfriend decided to add a dog to their family. Not only did they decide to adopt, when they arrived at BARCS animal shelter, Ronnie made a request that shelter workers don't hear that often. Ronnie said they were looking for a dog who had been at the shelter for a long time and was considered "not-so-adoptable." You can imagine the shelter workers were elated!

After meeting several potential pups, Ronnie and his girlfriend decided on Winter, a pup first discovered dehydrated and scared on a vacant property on a hot summer day. Winter has a low hanging belly, most likely from overbreeding, a condition that caused her to be overlooked by most shelter visitors. Ronnie was more interested in getting kisses from his new canine pal.

Ronnie wasn't the only Ravins player at the shelter that day. He also brought along his teammate, Alex Lewis, who ended up helping shelter workers carry heavy bags of pet food while Ronnie was taking his adoption class. Alex has two of his own rescue dogs at home.

I hope others will be inspired by Ronnie and Winter to take a second look at those "not-so-adoptable" pups at the shelter.