A dog rescued from a New York dogfighting ring has found a second chance at life with a new owner in Kentucky.
Arlo, a two-year-old pitbull, was rescued last August after being one of nearly 90 dogs subjected to the dogfighting ring, WDRB reported. American Society for the Preventions of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) Coordinator Savee Dalgo told WAVE that the dogs were discovered at ten different Long Island properties where they lived under horrendous conditions.
During her involvement in the ring, Arlo sustained a number of injuries, the outlet noted.
“After she was saved, Dalgo said Arlo was transferred to St. Louis’ Even Chance Pit Bull Advocacy + Resources + Rescue, where she underwent treatment, was given one-on-one training, and then found a forever home,” according to WAVE.
She now lives with her new owner Jonathon Seale, Even Chance announced in an April 1 Facebook post.
“I’ve had Arlo for about four weeks now,” Seale told WBRD. “She’s brought me a ton of happiness. I moved here in the middle of the pandemic not knowing anyone.”
Together for roughly a month, the pair have found a routine.
“Every morning we go for a walk and every evening we come walk through old Louisville,” Seale told WDRB. “She was a little skittish at first coming in. She’s been through a lot in a very short amount of time.”
He especially looks forward to coming to see Arlo after a long day.
“I love coming home to her wagging tail and going out for adventures whereas before I was struggling to get out and experience my new city,” Seale told WAVE.
The new Louisville resident noted that Arlo had shown nothing but a desire to play with other dogs despite her background, adding that she even made fast friends with another dog named Fetty from Lexington, according to WDRB. Fetty was also rescued from a New York dogfighting ring, and Seale is pals with his owner, according to Even Chance.
Seale rejected the stigma that pitbulls are naturally “bad animals,” adding that it is on the owner to learn the ins and outs of a breed before adopting an animal.
“People should throw the stigma out the window,” he told WDRB.
“If you’re going to own any dog really, you need to take into consideration the breed and the instincts and the drive of the animal,” he continued. “As far as them being bad animals naturally, that’s just not true at all.”