Gay couple adopts dog that was dumped by owners at shelter for being 'gay'

A dog that was abandoned by his owners after they suspected him to be gay has found a new home. A gay couple came forward to adopt Fezco, who was abandoned by his previous owners because he attempted to hump another male dog. The incident happened in North Carolina. The Stanly County Animal Protective Services in Albemarle confirmed that Fezco had found a new home and a loving couple to care for him. Fezco looks like a rottweiler with black and brown shades. He weighs 50 pounds and is 4 to 5 years old. The shelter noted that he was very friendly to people and other animals, reported HuffPost.

The gay couple—Steve Nichols and his partner John—provided a home for the adorable dog and renamed him "Oscar," a nod to the Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde, who was gay, reported TMZ. The couple said they felt an instant connection with the dog, having experienced homophobia themselves. They also added that the previous owners didn't take care of him. Oscar was found to have heartworms and wasn't neutered either. Steve Nichols and John have taken him to the vet and are eager to nurse him back to full health. Oscar also has company in the form of Harry, a terrier-Chihuahua mix. The cheerful pup will help cheer up Oscar.

Dogs that haven't been spayed or neutered tend to hump as a way of practicing for when they reach sexual maturity. This is not limited to just other dogs but also includes people's legs among other things. It's also common for dogs to hump other dogs as a way of showing dominance or as a form of playing. There's a good chance the owners probably assumed the dog was gay from one such instance. “You’ll often see one dog mount another, then a few minutes later they’ll switch off and the other dog will mount the first dog,” said Gary Landsberg, DVM, a veterinary behaviorist in Ontario, Canada, reported WebMD's Fetch. “It’s a common play gesture."

Landsberg went on to stress that it was completely normal behavior for a dog even if it weren't gay. “It can become enjoyable or a normal part of the dog’s day, so it keeps doing it. It’s the same as jumping up or barking at the door,” he added. It's not uncommon for an animal to be gay either. According to Scientific American, homosexuality is common practice in the animal kingdom. If you thought it was a one-off case, you couldn't be more wrong. "Such same-sex sexual behavior can include mounting, courting through songs and other signals, genital licking or releasing sperm, and has been observed in over 1,500 animal species, from primates to sea stars, bats to damselflies, snakes to nematode worms," notes the journal. Researchers at Scientific American postulate that ancestral animal species may have mated without taking sex into consideration. Researchers believe some animals may have been yet to develop the necessary faculties to detect sexual differences so they engaged with whatever they could.

Facebook users were overjoyed after Oscar was adopted. "God bless that baby. I hope is even happier and more loved in his new home," wrote one person. Another added, "Have a great life Fezco! You're a good boy and your life is so much better now. Enjoy your LOVING HOME!!!!" Some users called out the previous owners. "The dog deserved a better owner and home. Thankfully he got it. Scary such ignorant people out there," wrote one person.