Dog Rescued From Fighting Ring Gets To Run And Play For The First Time

Dogfighting wasn’t outlawed in the US until 1976 and it continued long after the laws went into place. While numbers of dogfighting rings have dropped with the ban, it’s still a reality that many dogs face to this day.

In Gaston County, North Carolina, the Humane Society was called to respond to an alleged dogfighting ring involving several dogs.

When they arrived on the scene, they found dogs in horrific conditions, suffering from injuries “typically seen in dogfighting cases.”

As they explained in a release video about the rescue, the dogs had access to little space to roam being tied with heavy, weighted chains, and their shelters were nothing but blue barrels and dilapidated wooden shacks.

It was an awful way to live for the dogs and it was clear they hadn’t been treated well. Despite all they’d been through and the conditions they faced, the rescuers noted that the dogs “wagged their tails and were eager for attention” when help arrived.

After nearly all the dogs were taken from the yard, rescuers came to the very last one: a brindle dog named Charlie.

Charlie was hooked to a weighted chain, with a worn wooden shack for shelter. He seemed exasperated but pleased to have human interaction. As soon as his chains were free, he became like a whole new dog!

Charlie was treated by a veterinarian and placed in a home, where he finally had the chance to run, play, and enjoy life! He even had a dog friend to spend time with.

“Seeing Charlie in his new home, you could just see the happiness and sheer joy in his eyes,” rescuers said in the video below.

Watch his rescue and transformation for yourself: