UPDATE: “Gay” Dog Dumped At Shelter Gets Adopted By Charlotte Area Gay Couple

MATTHEWS, N.C. – The dog dumped at the Stanly County Animal Shelter now has a new family, ready to love him exactly as he is. “It’s just such a silly reason to turn in a dog,” says Steve Nichols. He is adopting the dog, and says, “We just thought it would make sense for the gay dog to be adopted by a loving gay family.”

Nichols and his partner John live in the Charlotte area and have been together for more than 30 years. He says, “We’ve been subject to that kind of bigotry and ignorance throughout our lives together, and we couldn’t always do anything about it. We looked at each other and said, we can do something about this.”

Fezco’s old owners dumped him for being “gay” after he humped another male dog. To be clear: dog humping is not an indication of sexual orientation. “All dogs do it. It’s a dominance thing and a play thing,” explains Dr. William Pressly of Pressly Animal Hospital. He will treat Fezco for heartworms, neuter him, and make sure he’s otherwise healthy. Besides the dog being dumped for humping, he also evidently didn’t get great care with his old owners.

Pressly often partners with the Greater Charlotte SPCA rescue group. The rescue is funding Fezco’s medical treatments. He reminds people, “You just don’t throw ’em away. When you get an animal, he’s there for the lifetime.”

Nichols and his partner have re-named Fezco “Oscar,” after Oscar Wilde, the late gay poet.