Metro Weekly

Dog’s Owners Dump Him At Animal Shelter For Being “Gay”

Fezco the dog's owners were disturbed after he humped another male dog.

Fezco the dog – Photo: WCCB.

A shelter dog in North Carolina has allegedly been dumped by his owners for being “gay.”

Stanly County Animal Protective Services, in Albemarle, N.C., wrote in a Facebook post that Fezco, the dog in question, was brought to the shelter after humping another male dog, leading his owners to assume he was gay.

Fezco, a male dog whose breed is unknown, is four to five years old, 50 pounds, and friendly. The shelter says he likes people and other animals, and is looking for local people to step up and foster Fezco before he is adopted, according to Charlotte area CW affiliate WCCB.

Those looking to help rescue Fezco can call the Stanly County Animal Shelter at 704-986-3881.

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, mounting, thrusting (humping), and masturbation are normal behaviors exhibited by most dogs. But mounting or thrusting is not indicative of their sexuality.

Puppies will often mount playmates, people, and toys until they reach sexual maturity, while neutered or spayed male or female dogs may continue to mount because they enjoy doing so. Some dogs also mount other animals in order to “display social status or control.”

Homosexual behavior has been noted in over 1,500 species, according to Scientific American. Examples of animals that have been observed engaging in same-sex behavior include elephants, giraffes, dolphins, Japanese macaque monkeys, lions, and penguins, according to PETA.

For example, several same-sex penguin couples have helped incubate eggs and rear chicks hatched from them. Most recently, Elmer and Lima, two male Humboldt penguins at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, New York, became the first same-sex penguin parents at that zoo to raise a chick after successfully incubating an egg together.

But that still doesn’t mean that Fezco is gay, although there would be nothing unusual about it. His being dropped at the shelter likely says more about his former owners than it does about him. 

Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism

These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!