Owner surrendered sweet dog to shelter — so an NFL wide receiver saved the day
A sweet dog in Baltimore has found a new family after being surrendered to a shelter by his previous owner.
And he doesn’t even know his new dad is a football star.
According to the Maryland Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), Zeus, a cane corso whose name matches his strong looks, was brought to the shelter on Sept. 29 as an owner surrender.
While it may have seemed like a sad situation at the time, Zeus didn’t have to wait long for the perfect family to discover him.
That family happened to be NFL star Zay Flowers, a wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens.
The connection was instantaneous, the shelter said.
“He was initially shy, but when he met Zay for the first time, everything changed,” Ethan Salem, director of marketing and communications for the Maryland SPCA, told McClatchy News. “Zay told us he had been checking our website constantly, and when he saw Zeus became available on Saturday, October 4th, he and his family came in for a meet and greet, and it was love at first sight!”
The Pro Bowl star made everything official on Oct. 7 by picking Zeus up as his new companion.
Flowers was drafted during the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Ravens and is currently the No. 1 receiver on Baltimore’s offense.
This story was originally published October 7, 2025 at 4:44 PM with the headline "Owner surrendered sweet dog to shelter — so an NFL wide receiver saved the day."