Pennsylvania Detective Helps Bully Breeds Find Forever Homes
A police detective in Delaware County went viral on social media after he took to Instagram and TikTok to raise awareness for his mission to find forever homes for every “bully dog” in a Philadelphia-area animal shelter.
Detective Richard Jones of the Trainer Borough Police Department launched an initiative called “Police Helping Paws” in October 2024. Jones has become a social media celebrity, amassing hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram and TikTok. He shares videos of himself conducting training exercises with bully breed dogs from the Pennsylvania SPCA’s Chester Springs and Philadelphia animal shelters through these platforms.
Jones said adult pit bulls can make excellent family pets and are suitable for police work. Trainer Borough has two of Pennsylvania’s first pit bulls certified in law enforcement.
“I think people are amazed to see former shelter dogs do these things,” Jones said in an interview with CBS News Philadelphia. “I want to convey that any dog can really do this, and any person is really capable of doing it.”
Sara Brown of the Pennsylvania SPCA said the organization’s shelters have been at full capacity since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic nearly five years ago. She noted that many dogs being cared for by shelter staff are bully dog breeds that those interested in adopting dogs may overlook.
Thanks to Jones’ efforts, at least three bully dogs have been adopted. He encourages prospective adopters to visit animal shelters without bias. Let the dog choose you, Jones said.
“I think people would be really surprised, happily surprised, at what they would find in a shelter,” he added. “I’ve been going to these shelters now for four, five months, and I can’t wait to go.”
Visit the Pennsylvania SPCA’s website to learn more about adopting a shelter dog.
