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NFL Player Skips Puppies at Shelter, Instead Takes Home ‘Non-So-Adoptable’ Dog

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After waiting for years to get adopted, a “non-so-adoptable” dog was rescued by a NFL player.

For nearly her entire life, 6-year-old Winter had lived in a shelter.

Discovered on a hot day inside a deserted property without electricity or any open windows, she was extremely scared and dehydrated. Brought into Baltimore’s BARC shelter, staff assessed her appearance and noticed her tummy hung down low — a sign that she had had several litters of puppies. Because of this, she was continually overlooked by potential adopters.

But that all changed this past weekend when Baltimore Ravens player Ronnie Stanley arrived at BARCS.

Accompanied by his girlfriend and teammate Alexander Lewis, Stanley said, “We are looking for dog that’s been here a long time and maybe not-so-adoptable,” according to a post on the shelter’s Facebook page.

Elated by the request, the staff showed Stanley some dogs that were having difficulty finding homes. Winter was the lucky pup to catch his eye — and her saggy tummy was such a non-issue for Stanley. “Well, that’s just what happens when you’ve had babies,” he told volunteers. For him, he was more focused on getting lots of kisses from the pup.

Related: What It Takes to Make Puppy Bowl a Success

After signing the adoption papers and making Winter part of a family, the BARCS staff gave him a special shout out in the post.

“We are so proud to have amazing guys like Ronnie to be role models to the kids in our city. Not only does his single act of kindness make adoption cool, but it makes giving love to an imperfectly perfect dog a ‘manly’ thing to do.”

For a while, the Ravens have supported BARCS in various ways. Former Raven Torrey Smith initiated the relationship and since then players — including Morgan Cox, Lawrence Guy, Ryan Jensen, Kamar Aiken, Carl Davis, Maxx Williams — have participated in BARCS’s “Pawject Runway.” Others, including Jensen, have adopted a dog from the shelter.

Read the full post here:

We have an incredible ‘Happy Tail’ to share! This weekend, Ravens Offensive Tackle #79 Ronnie Stanley visited BARCS in search of adding a pup to his family. He was accompanied to our shelter by his girlfriend, along with his team mate, Alexander Lewis (#72). When they checked into our front desk, they let us know just what they were looking for–and for a superstar like Ronnie…you’ll never guess what requested. “We are looking for dog that’s been here a long time and maybe not-so-adoptable.” Our matchmakers were delighted. “Not-so-adoptable” can mean a lot of things here…senior pets, physically imperfect, on-going medical and more.

Our BARCS staff showed Ronnie and his girlfriend a few pets that fit his (seriously awesome) criteria. Winter was the lucky dog that caught Ronnie’s eye.

Related: A Sneak Peek of the Lineup for Puppy Bowl 2016

Beautiful Winter is a dog who has spent most of her six years of life falling into sad, unfortunate situations. She was found on a vacant property, on a hot day with no electricity, or open windows. She was dehydrated and extremely frightened. Winter has a long, hanging belly, mostly likely a result of over breeding–something we see far too often at our shelter. Due to her age, her belly is not something that will ever tighten up. Female dogs with such characteristics are often passed by in our shelter–but not by Ronnie!

Ronnie’s thought on Winter’s belly, as recalled by our volunteers: “Well, that’s just what happens when you’ve had babies.” He was much more interested in getting lots of face kisses from Winter and falling in love, rather than being worried about the appearance of her tummy. What a great guy!

It was a done deal. Ronnie and his girlfriend signed Winter’s adoption papers and took her to her new home the same day.

Once a discarded pup, now the doggy-daughter to a Raven.

We are so proud to have amazing guys like Ronnie to be role models to the kids in our city. Not only does his single act of kindness make adoption cool, but it makes giving love to an imperfectly perfect dog a ‘manly’ thing to do.

Have a happy, happy life Winter. 

Images via Facebook.

Related: Munchkin the Shih Tzu Gets Pumped Up for Super Bowl

By Andrea Huspeni

Andrea Huspeni is the founder and CEO of This Dog's Life. Her mission it to help dogs live a happier, healthier and longer life. When she isn't working, she spends time with her two dogs, Lola and Milo. She resides in Brooklyn, NY.

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