Video of dog being abused leads to his rescue, adoption through Yonkers Animal Shelter
YONKERS, New York (WABC) -- A pup from Yonkers is getting a new lease on life after being rescued from an abusive owner.
Maximus is a 9-month-old pit bull puppy who gets to enjoy the good life of treats and belly rubs after a rough start.
Video from last month shows 29-year-old Anthoin McPherson repeatedly hitting the dog and throwing him against a roll-down gate. A scene so shocking someone recorded the abuse and reported it to Yonkers police.
McPherson was arrested and Max spent a few weeks recovering at the Yonkers Animal Shelter.
"If you look at that video and it doesn't turn your stomach then you're not human," adopter Ricky Vetrano said.
That's where Vetrano and Lisa Gibson met Max, and the rest was history.
"This little puppy just deserves the best life ever and we need to get him," Lisa Gibson said. "Whatever we do we need to get him."
Both have experience with pit bulls, a breed they say gets a bad rap.
And if having a loving new home wasn't enough, the couple owns a restaurant so Max will be well-fed.
"He's loved beyond his wildest dreams for sure," Vetrano said.
And while it's a match for Max-there are currently 35 dogs and 75 cats at the Yonkers Animal Shelter all in need of a loving home and available for adoption.
"We do a medical assessment obviously, but most importantly we get a lot of applications here," Yonkers Parks Commissioner Steve Sansone said. "Certain animals can work well with other animals or children, certain animals cannot."
If you're interested in adopting a pet from the Yonkers Animal Shelter check out their website to see what animals are available.
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