Living January 22, 2021

Police officer adopts injured puppy he rescued while on duty

Matthew O'Hanlon
Officer Matthew O'Hanlon of the Mount Laurel Police Department in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, told "Good Morning America" that he took a puppy in after he and his colleagues found him wandering about an industrial area of Mount Laurel on Jan. 2. O'Hanlon and his fiance adopted the pit bull and named him Thor.

A New Jersey policeman has adopted a 14-week-old pit bull he and his fellow officers rescued earlier this month.

Officer Matthew O'Hanlon of the Mount Laurel Police Department told "Good Morning America" that he took the puppy in after he and his colleagues found him wandering about an industrial area of Mount Laurel on Jan. 2.

O'Hanlon named the pup Thor.

Matthew O'Hanlon
Officer Matthew O'Hanlon of the Mount Laurel Police Department in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, told "Good Morning America" that he took a puppy in after he and his colleagues found him wandering about an industrial area of Mount Laurel on Jan. 2. O'Hanlon and his fiance adopted the pit bull and named him Thor.
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"My fiance and I are big Marvel fans and we just though based on him being injured and everything the name kind of fit," O'Hanlon, 26, said.

O'Hanlon said Thor had no identification and a wound on his head. He was sent to Burlington County Animal Shelter in Westampton for treatment.

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"I called the shelter 20 minutes after I dropped him off and told them that I wanted him," O'Hanlon said.

O'Hanlon picked up Thor and brought him to the vet where the tooth of another animal was removed from his head. He's since recovered and doing well at home with his new family

O'Hanlon said he wants to remove the stigma surrounding pit bulls being aggressive dogs.

Matthew O'Hanlon
Officer Matthew O'Hanlon of the Mount Laurel Police Department in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, told "Good Morning America" that he took a puppy in after he and his colleagues found him wandering about an industrial area of Mount Laurel on Jan. 2. O'Hanlon and his fiance adopted the pit bull and named him Thor.

"They're the most loving, affectionate dogs I've ever had … it's [unfortunate] to see them get bad reputations when it's really the way they're raised."

"And adopt don't shop," he added.

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