Oscar the Trendsetter?
Maybe we started some sort of unique, weird, and wonderful trend when we adopted Oscar the Gay Dog. As you know, he had been discarded at...
top of page
Of course, we realize that Oscar is neither Gay nor Straight. To us, he’s just a lovable mutt and the newest member of our family.
Let’s back up and tell you how it all happened
Oscar was discarded like a piece of trash
Oscar was surrendered to a North Carolina animal shelter because his owner saw him hump another male dog and surmised that he was “gay.” He is 4 - 5 years old, and after having him all those years, his owner was ready to discard him like a piece of trash, based on prejudice, bigotry, and ignorance.
That’s when my partner and I stepped in. We first read the story on a news app, then viewed the local TV coverage. We were shocked at the level of stupidity. Anyone who has ever owned a dog knows that humping is normal pack behavior.
We have faced the same discrimination and bigotry
We are a gay couple who has been together 33 years, and in that time, we’ve been subjected to the same ignorance, bigotry, and discrimination that Oscar experienced, and we were often powerless to do anything about it. In this case, we knew we could do something.
At first, we just intended to just donate some money, take him a sandwich, or even some cigarettes that he could barter for cookies! Our offer to "just help" morphed into a proposal to foster him. My partner John, in his infinite wisdom said, “If that dog comes into our home, you know damn well we’re gonna fall in love with him and keep him forever.” Two days after seeing the news story, we signed the papers to adopt him through the Greater Charlotte SPCA and renamed him Oscar (after Oscar Wilde, one of history’s “gayest” figures.).
Oscar's story exploded internationally, as seen in the screen shot above
I'm ready for my close-up
What happened next blew our minds! The story became viral on the internet and social media. NBC News. TMZ, the TODAY show, Good Morning America, USA Today, and a plethora of other media outlets barraged GCSPCA with requests to contact us. Our story was on countless talkshows that we never even saw,including Jimmy Kimmel. We discovered copies of the story on major websites like Huffington Post, Newsweek, the NY Times. Soon, the story began surfacing on sites in England, Ireland, Malta, India, and more (see the image on the left). Good people from around the world began sending us love and well wishes. There were a few with negative and hurtful comments, and to them I say, Be gone. Your dark magic has no purchase here!
Heroes and happy endings
In every single interview, we were asked why we believed the story had exploded. It’s simple: After the last 4 or 5 years of craziness in our country, people are craving stories with real heroes and happy endings. Let’s be quick to point out that we are not the heroes in this story – they are the shelter employees (left), the volunteers and donors at the local SPCA, and the veterinarian (left) who is working to restore Oscar to health and happiness. These people deal with unwanted and abused animals every day, and they are the heroes!
All we did was adopt a dog
So here we are. We adopted a dog – no big deal. However, Oscar the “Gay” dog is a celebrity around the world, and we hope that his story will encourage people to discard their notions of bigotry and hate just as easily as his previous owners discarded him. We have embraced the moniker of Gay Dog because we want people to know; IT DOESN’T MATTER. We will love him and will care for him whether he is gay, straight, bi, trans, etc.
We also hope that his story will encourage YOU to do something to make our world a better place. If you can’t do something locally, please consider donating to the organizations below, who strive every day to make better lives for people and the animals they love.
Another one of the heroes in this story was WCCB Anchor Person Morgan Fogarty, who had the courage to report the plight of the "gay" dog when no other Charlotte TV station stepped up. You can see some of the coverage by clicking the video.
The GCSPCA was instrumental in getting Oscar a new forever home . They are paying for all of Oscar's emergency healthcare, including the life-saving heartworm treatment. Donations of any size are beneficial. GCSPCA is a private 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All donations are deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING TODAY!
Get some stuff for the animals you love,
and we'll show some love to the animals who need it!
Check Out Some Of Oscar's Favorite Things!
1/5
Puptivism creates and sells pet and matching hooman accessories that are designed to start meaningful conversations. 10% of all products sold are donated back to an aligned non-profit organization. With Puptivism, Activism has found a whole new breed. Check out Oscar's favorite products by clicking here.
Search
Oscar's Journey
BLOG
bottom of page