Ronnie Stanley, the powerhouse Offensive Tackle for the Baltimore Ravens, is not just a football sensation; he’s also a hero for dogs in desperate need of a home.
His journey into canine rescue began with a special pup named Lola.
When Stanley felt the time was right to bring a dog into his life, he didn’t just walk into any pet store.
Instead, he went straight to Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelters (BARCS) with a unique request.
He wasn’t interested in the cute puppies that everyone fawns over; he wanted the dog that had been overlooked the most, the one that had been in the shelter the longest.
“I always knew I wanted to adopt a dog that probably wasn’t going to get adopted and had a lesser chance of survival and I just felt like that was helping the cause more,” Stanley shared with PETA.
“I was looking for an older dog that’s been here for a while that’s probably not gonna get adopted.”
When Stanley met Lola, a mix of retriever and terrier, it was love at first sight.
“I saw a few dogs and Lola was just the one to fit my interest. She’s super excited for you to come home.
She definitely has a strong bond. She likes to be protected and feel protected and feel close and feel loved.
She likes to know people are there for her,” Stanley revealed.
But Lola was just the beginning.
A year later, Stanley expanded his fur family by adopting Rico, a pitbull mix.
Eventually, he even added a third pup, Kaia, from LA Animal Services to the mix.
Stanley’s love for dogs didn’t stop at adoption; he took it a step further by launching his own foundation.
.@megatronnie has launched @Ronniesfdn to improve the quality of life for rescue dogs & individuals in need. pic.twitter.com/JCFp77EBCL
— Roc Nation Sports (@RocNationSports) November 15, 2021
“My goal in founding The Ronnie Stanley Foundation was to create a community where humans help animals and animals help humans in return,” Stanley stated.
His foundation has been a game-changer.
“My goal in founding The Ronnie Stanley Foundation was to create a community where humans help animals, & animals help humans in return.”@megatronnie | @Ronniesfdn pic.twitter.com/RVZL5cT2PL
— Roc Nation Sports (@RocNationSports) November 15, 2021
Stanley elaborated, “These matches are even more meaningful because rescue dogs are placed in their forever homes.”
“My life was changed and improved when I adopted my dogs.”
“Through my foundation, I’m creating a larger community and network to help rescue dogs and humans.”
One of the foundation’s success stories involves Lyric, a 4-year-old pitbull mix who was once plagued by fleas and skin infections.
Lyric found a forever home with Nikiria, a woman battling sickle cell anemia.
Another heartwarming match was between an abandoned pitbull mix named Garrison and U.S. Navy veteran Jonathan Birckhead, who struggles with PTSD.
“Life after the military, there are some good days and there are some bad days. Garrison supports me in so many ways. He’s a ball of energy. He wants to be loved and we have plenty of love for him,” Birckhead shared.
“Garrison is now fully integrated into our family. You might as well call him Garrison Birckhead. The Ronnie Stanley Foundation helped make my family complete. To all my military vets in need of a support pet, I strongly recommend reaching out to the foundation.”
Stanley hopes his actions will inspire others to adopt and treat their pets with the love and respect they deserve.
“The best message to people mistreating their pets would be to look at themselves in the mirror and really ask if that’s how they would want to be treated if it were the other way around and really look at all forms of life with respect and treat them with dignity like other humans beings would want to be treated as well,” he concluded.
See this heartwarming story in the video below!
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