By Daniel Miller
The dog dumped at a Tennessee animal shelter to be destroyed because his owner thought it was gay has been saved at the last minute by a kindhearted animal lover. After the the plight of the American Bulldog mix was seen by millions online, Stephanie Fryns, a veterinary technician from Jackson, stepped up this afternoon and adopted him from Jackson TN Euthanasia.
Naming him Elton, Fryns, who already owns four dogs said that she had planned to rescue him even before his story had traveled around the Internet. Describing the 50 pound dog as ‘pretty friendly’, Fryn said, ‘He’s pretty scared of everything, which is understandable. But he loved the car ride.’
She said she suspected that Elton had been involved in illegal dog-fights, but that it was impossible to confirm. However he did have some redness on his ears. Fryn doubted he had been used routinely in dog fights because of his ‘submissive’ nature.
The last minute reprieve for Elton came with only hours to go until he was scheduled to be euthanized at the Tennessee animal shelter. He was dumped there because according to the owner of the shelter, the dog’s master noticed him ‘hunched over’ another male dog, which led him to assume he was gay.
Yesterday a Facebook user became of aware of his plight after seeing his picture on the shelter’s timeline and contacted Jackson TN Euthanasia to discover the reason why he had been left there to be destroyed.
‘His owner threw him away bc he refuses to have a ‘gay’ dog!’ wrote a user who calls herself ‘Jackson Madison Rabies Control Stalker’. ‘Don’t let this gorgeous dog die [because] his owner is ignorant of normal dog behavior! He’s in kennel 10L and he WILL be put down tomorrow bc there is no room at the inn!’
Following an outcry over the Internet numerous people including Stephanie Fryns arrived at the shelter this morning to adopt the unloved dog.