Ronnie Stanley’s Game Changer: Adopting An Unwanted Dog

Baltimore Ravens’ Offensive Tackle Shares Why He Wanted to Find an Older, ‘Unadoptable’ Dog in New PETA Video

For Immediate Release:
December 14, 2016

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

Shortly after signing with the Baltimore Ravens this year, offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley recruited a new player for his family: Lola the dog, whom he found at his local animal shelter. And in a new PETA video, he shares the story of the game-changing call that he made to ask the shelter for an older dog.

“I always knew I wanted to adopt a dog that probably wasn’t going to get adopted and had a lesser chance of survival,” he says. “[Lola’s] super-excited for [me] … to come home, and she definitely has a strong bond [with me].”

He adds, “Adopting Lola was one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done, and I encourage everyone looking for a dog to consider an older one who might otherwise never get that chance. There’s no better feeling than knowing that Lola’s hard days are behind her because she’s safe with me.”

Not all companion animals are as lucky as Lola. At least 6 million dogs and cats end up in U.S. animal shelters every year, and half of them have to be euthanized because there simply aren’t enough good homes for them. That’s why Stanley and PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—encourage everyone to adopt from local animal shelters and have their animals spayed and neutered.

Stanley joins a growing list of athletes—including Chris Culliver, Tyrann Mathieu, Tony Gonzalez, Stevie Johnson, Brandon Flowers, Jarvis Landry, Lance Briggs, and many more—who’ve teamed up with PETA to help animals.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.